Predator: Monsters
by Bastet1023
Summary: Sequel to Predator: Hunters. A vampire insurrection and a shapeshifter unrising keep Ravyn and the Ash guild busy while Tarn'se leads a vampire hunt. A new threat lingers on the horizon which only the eccentric vampire Eve can stop... But where is she?
1. New Hunt

_As my reviewers have demanded, here's the sequel to** Predator: Hunters**. Sorry it took so long to get this up. My computer failed and I haven't had the internet for about a month. If you haven't read **Predator: Hunters **I strongly suggest you do; otherwise you'll be completely lost in this story. I hope you guys enjoy this!_

**Chapter 1: New Hunt**

The lycanthrope shrieked in agony as the silver bullets tore quickly through its hide. It rolled onto its back twitching in agony, its death howl tearing through the air.

Ravyn sniffed distastefully at the sight of carnage. She hated guns. They required no skill to operate and handed so much power to the wielder. They felt more primitive than the weapons she normally used: her swords, bows, and basic hand-to-hand skills. One had to hone his or her abilities for years to even gain proficiency in those weapons…

With guns, you merely aimed and pulled the trigger.

As distasteful as she found guns, Ravyn had to admit they were the most effective weapon against shape-shifters. Unless the hunter had an extremely powerful bow with an incredibly sharp-tipped arrow, there was no chance that the bolt would pierce a lycanthrope's thick hide. As for swords and hand-to-hand combat, a hunter was good as dead trying to fight that way.

Ravyn removed her eyes from the corpse and glanced about her. The pack had been small, thankfully, and had been taken completely by surprise. Not a single hunter dead.

"Not a bad fight," Ivy called over to her. The Ash Guild's head scientist was walking towards Ravyn. Her hair was now dyed a vibrant violet with white tips. Her thin face held wisdom of ages, probably a by-product of her telepathic abilities. You had to be able to learn a lot by just reading one person's mind, not to mention the thousands Ivy had undoubtedly encountered.

"We shouldn't have to fight these though," Ravyn growled turning back to the lycanthrope corpse as it shifted back into human form; a sign it was definitely dead.

Ivy sighed, "Well, it'll help us in the long run." Ravyn didn't respond, continuing to glare at the dead shape shifter in from of her.

Since the Master Vampire Nacht's death, Ravyn's arch-enemy and almost turning-mother, life had been chaotic in the least.

The vampires in the area had been held under Nacht's iron rule for at least a few centuries if not longer. Now that she was gone, the power shift amongst the vampire hierarchies was the most terrible most hunters had ever seen.

Normally, after a Master was killed, his or her territory fell to the control of a second. In this case, that second would be Nacht's sister Eve.

But Eve was nowhere to be found.

There were some rumors that Eve had been killed, others said that she had simply not cared for the power and had left. Whatever Eve's reasoning, she left hundreds of vampires without a Master and a huge piece of territory open for the taking. Now, every vampire powerful enough to claim the title "Master" was fighting for it.

But, to make matters worse, a sudden influx of lycanthrope, or werewolf, shape-shifters completely destroyed all semblance of order. No one, not even the guilds dedicated to fighting off shape-shifters knew why the lycanthropes had come. The Guild houses that normally dealt with shape-shifters were in a frenzy trying to keep track of them and, in their desperation, had called in a few favors from Ravyn's own Guild, the Ash Guild.

It had been almost a year since Nacht was killed and the old Ash Guild house had been burned to the ground. With the help of neighboring Guilds, the Ash Guild had gotten back on their feet, only to have to jump right into a vampire insurrection and shape-shifter uprising.

"Nathan! Get over here!" Ivy snapped suddenly. Ravyn jumped at Ivy's sharp tone. Ivy was probably the most docile hunter in the Ash Guild, except when it came to Nathan. The young hunter was more than a little wet behind the ears and seemed to have lost all common sense a _long_ time ago, though on rare occasions he could come up with brilliant ideas.

Ravyn watched Nathan march over to Ivy like a petulant child, pout and all. His chestnut hair, now grown enough to hang down to his shoulders, was wrapped in a loose hair tie with random strands sticking out at all angles. His blue eyes stared defiantly at Ivy, though Ravyn could see a hint of submission behind them.

Ivy's hand snapped out and grabbed Nathan's arm, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. The shirt was made of a toughened leather, studded with a silver-steel alloy. After a second of struggle Ivy apparently found what she was looking for. With a growl, she reached into a large pouch on her belt and began to pull out a syringe with various needles and a milky white substance.

"You got bitten again didn't you?" Ravyn scolded, crossing her arms, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of torn flesh and seeping blood on Nathan's arm.

"He came up behind me!" Nathan began to protest when Ivy interrupted him.

"If a lycanthrope can sneak up behind you then you shouldn't be hunting them in the first place!" Ivy snapped as she filled the syringe, grabbed Nathan's arm, and stuck the needle into the vein that ran close to the surface on the inside of Nathan's elbow. Quickly jamming down the plunger, Ivy promply ignored Nathan's wince as she withdrew the needle. Ivy turned to Ravyn, "I'm gonna check the others." With one final glare at Nathan, Ivy spun and marched away, her shoulders hunched.

"What's her problem?" Nathan muttered, giving up on his pride and rubbing his sore arm.

Ravyn shook her head, "I should be asking what's _your _problem, not hers," when Nathan turned his gaze to the ground Ravyn continued, "You're being far too reckless."

Nathan exhaled sharply, "I passed the tests."

Ravyn conceded with a small nod, "That you did; and so did I. But look what happened to me when I went up against Nacht." Seeing her words beginning to take effect Ravyn continued with a softer tone, "This is the third time this month you've gotten bitten, Nathaniel."

Nathan looked up sharply at his full name, "You don't have to lecture me; and we have a cure for the werewolf virus."

Ravyn raised one brow, "Actually, because I am one of the guild Heads, I _do _have to lecture a hunter that is being foolish. And though we do have a cure, I'm pretty sure you've seen what happens to those that it _doesn't _work on."

That statement sobered Nathan's teenage pride. It was true that the cure for a lycanthrope, or any shape-shifter, bite had been found. The virus that changed a human into a shape shifter was found in the saliva of a shape-shifter, not in the blood like a vampire. The cure for a changing shape shifter had been found over two decades ago, but there were two problems with it. First, there was some sort of gene that some humans had that rendered the vaccine ineffective, and second, if one was bitten too many times, the vaccine may not be able to stop the virus in time.

"Just… be more careful…" Ravyn paused and grinned, "What would your hero think about you being careless?" Nathan's sober frown changed to match Ravyn's grin. At the mere mention of Nathan's "hero", the yautja hunter Tarn'se, the kid's face lit up and seemed ready to face the world.

As Nathan rushed off, Ravyn turned her eyes to the starry sky. It was a cool, clear night. Hints of autumn were in the air and the temperatures were already beginning to drop, hinting at the fierce winter that was sure to come.

Ravyn sighed and began to rejoin the group; she could only hope that the invading shape-shifters were only a random outburst, rather than the threatening rumblings that precede a terrible storm.

* * *

The ship vibrated as the thrusters kicked in, pushing the large vessel off the ground and into the air. Inertia caused the residents of the ship to shift in their seats slightly as the ship rocketed away from the planet, through the atmosphere and out into the black void of space. 

At the mechanical announcement, the beings relinquished their harnesses and scattered to do what they wished, most of their activities revolving around the coming hunt.

They were yautja, fierce warriors with a reputation for being the greatest hunters in the universe. Each was about seven feet tall if not more their bodies resembling a humanoid-reptilian hybrid constructed of solid muscle. Armor ranging from pitch black to a dusky silver, was pieced together over their bodies, along with a expressionless mask clipped to each of their belts. A terrifying face completed their image, a shoking mix of mandibles and sharp teeth, while decorated dreadlocks jutted from their dome-shaped skulls.

Tarn'se watched them move about and grinned inwardly. The others were curious and mildly excited. They had heard the stories, but he knew they could not comprehend the prey that they would be hunting in a week or so. He too would be rather skeptical if he hadn't battled against the prey they were out to hunt.

Vampires.

Tarn'se's blood ran hot at the though of the mutated human blood drinkers. They had been the most challenging prey he had ever faced.

And he couldn't wait to hunt them again.

He was Leader of this hunt. A total of fifteen hunters were selected for the hunt, three of which had already fought the vampires and knew some techniques that they could advise the inexperienced hunters with.

"Think they're ready?" A tall yautja asked with a grin, approaching Tarn'se with a friendly stance. Jaelre, Tarn'se's greatest ally and friend, too was one of the three who had faced the vampires. Tarn'se knew that Jaelre, though excited, was rather apprehensive about this particular hunt.

After being bitten by a vampire, Jaelre had felt nothing but shame towards his surrendering response to the addictive feel of a vampire's bite. Ever since, Jaelre seemed to have a well hidden fear towards the vampires. Originally, he did not intend to go on this hunt, but the Elders had insisted. They had the most vampire-experienced hunters in the hunting group. As honor dictated, Jaelre conceded and joined the group.

He never agreed to enjoy it.

Tarn'se admired Jaelre's bravery to face his possibly _only_ fear as he replied, "Ready? No. Those who survive the first cull will be truly ready," Tarn'se paused, "One must fight them to know what it is like to battle a vampire; they cannot go by the tales alone"

"Indeed," a whispery voice intoned. Tarn'se and Jaelre turned, dipping their heads in respect to the Arbitrator, Far'hnde. Far'hnde, taking a short leave from his duties as an Arbitrator, the yautja police, had agreed to go on the hunt. Tarn'se suspected that Far'hnde had _demanded_ rather than _asked_ to go on the vampire hunt. Unlike Jaelre, Far'hnde seemed positively ecstatic to be going on this hunt. Tarn'se had never seen an Arbitrator so excited about a hunt that did not involve hunting down and Bad Blood.

Far'hnde still wore his Arbitrator suit, a specially designed alloy compound of metal and some other flexible substance that fit tightly to its wearer. The suit hid almost all of the Arbitrator's body heat and though it was remarkably lightweight, only the sharpest blades and strongest acids could damage it. There were rumors that even _kanide_ _amedha_ blood, the strongest acid the yautja knew of, had difficulty eating its' way through the suit. A few additional pieces of more common silver-grey armor augmented the suit though the violet sash that marked Far'hnde as an Arbitrator was absent; while he was on this hunt, Far'hnde was only an Arbitrator by title.

"If they do not begin to take this hunt more seriously, there will be many dead at the end of the first fight," Far'hnde continued. Far'hnde paused and looked at Tarn'se intently, his yellow eyes calculating, "Are you ready, _Leader_ Tarn'se? You are taking them into a hunt of dire threat and greater glory; can you lead them past Cetanu's flaming sword to honor?"

Tarn'se did not miss the stressing of the title 'Leader'. Tarn'se knew it wasn't that Far'hnde felt that he was incapable of leading the hunt successfully, far from it. Far'hnde's conserns grew from that knowledge that one wrong move by the Leader of the group could spell disaster for the entire hunting party. For a hunter to survive, he had to rely on his own prowess, yet should he follow an ill-prepared Leader, the lives of the hunting group were all in peril despite the skill of the individual hunter. The others would look to Tarn'se for hints on stalking techniques, killing strikes, and even when it was time to put back and retreat to safety. If Tarn'se didn't preform those actions as was necessary, especially the latter, they would all be dead… or worse.

"I am prepared to lead this group, Far'hnde," Tarn'se replied, trying to put as much confidence in his voice without sounding arrogant, "I will act as the example for them; it is their choice whether they choose to follow it."

"See that you do, Leader Tarn'se; the success of this hunt depends on you," Far'hnde turned and strode out of the room, his black cloak billowing slightly behind him.

"Like he could lead the hunt any better than you could," Jaelre growled quietly once Far'hnde left the room.

Tarn'se smiled softly at his friend's defensiveness, "He wasn't trying to insult me and you shouldn't take it that way either. He's seen more battles than we have combined, many of them fierce; he knows what can happen on this hunt and he was just making sure that I was aware of it as well."

Jaelre hissed slightly but conceded, "I suppose," then he grinned, 'Technically, you can order him around on this hunt, can't you?"

Tarn'se matched the grin and imitated Far'hnde's voice, "Indeed!" The two yautja laughed as their ship sped through space towards battle, blood, and glory.

_I know there wasn't a lot of action, but give me a break; it's the first chapter. I promise many big battles are coming! Please review!_


	2. The Coming Storm

_Hello peoples! I must apologize for the excessively long wait, but let's just say I had 2 AP exams then regular finals, a school musical, an English Festival, and other random events that prevented me from both writing and updating. Luckily for me, it is summer now and I'll be able to write and post at much shorter intervals. Thanks to __**Lunatic Pandora1, Oak Tree Woman, ben revell, wolf guardian of light, Dark vengeance, theoldman, Lord CrunchCricket, StormRaven333, Master of the Boot, Raptor-Chick,**__**ss talos, **__and__** wolf-of-black-flames-kikyo **__for the reviews. 12 reviews for 1 chapter, I'm honored! Well, enough babbling from me, here's the next chapter. And I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I don't own Predator but I own the concept of their story and all of my characters; this applied to all future chapters in this story. Disclaimers are annoying…_

**Chapter 2: The Coming Storm**

Ravyn rubbed under her eyes wearily as she dug through a plethora of papers and documents, each ranging in subjects from new vampires to shape shifter sightings to any other odd occurrence that could potentially be caused by one of the many supernatural beings that inhabited the earth.

The Ash Guild house had been restored in the past year and Ravyn had the luxury of being promoted to the new Ash Guild co-leader. After the death of the original guild head, Vanessa, Jonathan had taken over and taken his most successful former-trainee as his second in command.

The new title had been a bitter-sweet one. Ravyn had always been a decent leader and her new position had gained her more prestige and respect from the other guilds; she also got a _really _big room though it was now mostly covered in paperwork. She also got to handle the more financial aspects of the guild which enabled her to fund Ivy's research projects on a grander scale; Vanessa has never really held much faith in the sciences.

Unfortunately, as quoted from Spiderman, "With great power, comes great responsibility," though at times Ravyn felt "responsibility" should be replaced with "paperwork". She also had to be the diplomat of the group and Ravyn was never much of a people-person. And of course, the social gossip that unfortunately existed in the guilds had picked up on the fact that Ravyn was one of Jonathan's favorite students and must logically mean that Jonathan promoted her for more than her skills in the guild.

Rumors like that made Ravyn want to take a leaf out of Tarn'se's book and start skinning the people that came up with the rumors.

The most pressing issue though was the vampire conflict, which was getting worse day by day. Masters were sending their fledglings to do battle, not particularly caring about the human casualties. That was the worse part of a conflict for territory amongst vampires. Most vamp Masters kept their fledglings in check a maintained a relatively low profile, but when territory was at stake, vamps didn't give a damn who got hurt and/or killed so long as they got the territory.

And Ravyn, along with all of the others in the guilds, had no clue what was causing the werewolf influx. There were always the occasional loner werewolf or shape shifter that caused trouble, yet so many attacks and incidents indicated that perhaps a new pack had decided to move in.

A stray knock at her door made Ravyn jump, but she called for the person to enter as she typed some random facts and dates onto her computer; she wished that Jonathan would do more paperwork at times, but she understood that he was probably ten times more busy with the main management of the guild, especially in a crisis such as the one they were currently dealing with.

"_Speak of the devil,"_ Ravyn thought as Jonathan entered the room quietly, shutting the door behind him. He was tall and had decided to grow his hair longer which now hung in a small ponytail at the base of his head. He had a quiet sense of intelligence and poise that radiated from him; god, Ravyn wished had that sort of aura.

"Ravyn," Jonathan nodded, glancing around the room and picking up some scattered papers that lay on the floor, "You should try to keep a little more organized."

"I'm just a tiny bit busy to be worrying about organization," Ravyn said in a sarcastically sweet voice; it was late, she was tired, and in a bitchy mood.

Jonathan raised a brow at her tone, "You could put Nathan to work on it."

"Yeah, I suppose…" Ravyn continued to type as Jonathan walked to the window and pulled back the blackout drapes, letting a painful amount of sunlight into the room, "Dammit! Jonathan, what the hell…" Ravyn trailed off then spun to look at the clock on her computer: 11 AM.

Holy shit. Ash Guild time was a nocturnal one; in general, almost all hunters were asleep by around 8 AM.

"God, I'm turning into a workaholic," Ravyn moaned dropping weakly onto her desk.

"You've been working hard; I doubt the guild would be in such a good condition if it wasn't for your dedication," Jonathan said softly. Ravyn gave him a small smile; a compliment from Jonathan was worth a lot and both of them knew it.

Ravyn sighed, "I suppose I should sleep… it's just so much work."

Jonathan nodded, "I know, but you'll need your energy."

Ravyn froze, then slowly looked at Jonathan, caution in her tired eyes, "Something tells me you didn't come here just to tell me to go do sleep; dare I ask_ what_ I'll be needing my energy for?"

Jonathan sighed, "The Ice Guild just called me; they think they know what's causing the werewolf influx," Jonathan regarded Ravyn carefully before continuing, "They believe the Master Sebastian is sending them out as a preliminary force."

"Oh God no…" Ravyn felt like she was going to pass out, "Are you sure?"

Jonathan nodded, "They've got wind of what pack is attacking, Bloodmark, and it is a badly kept secret that their alpha male and female, Magnus and Cassandra, are close allies of Sebastian. And when I look at it, it is only logical that Sebastian would want Nacht's territory; he's always pined for it and he has a perfect opportunity to get it now.

Ravyn stared at Jonathan for a few seconds then burst out into hysterical laughter. Jonathan's brow creased, "What's so funny?" his tone was concerned.

Ravyn struggled to hold back her laughter, tears glistening in her eyes, "And I thought life could get no worse! When it rains, it pours!"

* * *

_So much blood…_

Tarn'se ripped out another throat, blood splattering his face and chest. The dying yautja in his hands was a young one, probably a year or two away from beginning his training for the _kanide amedha_ hunt.

The youngling would never see the light of another day.

Triple moons lit the small city making the world appear bright as day to Tarn'se's enhanced eyes. The cursed suns of his home world had set mere hours before; he had had to take refuge in a cave for the day after being attacked by his brethren. Now, he had returned with a vengeance.

Jaelre had been leading the meager defense; apparently the Elders didn't believe he would return. Tarn'se quickly cut Jaelre down and the others. Jaelre hadn't been completely dead when the minor skirmish ended so Tarn'se enjoyed a delightful, first full meal of blood. Gods, how could he have been so blind to the glory the vampire virus gifted him? How could he have been afraid? He was weak then, but not anymore.

More of his clan mates ran to kill him, taking foolish shots at his stomach and extremities. He knew only to protect his heart and his neck. Those foolish defenders died by his bare hands. He knew they were only trying to buy time for the females to get the younglings out of the area. Or course, the yautja females would come after him later and could prove difficult to defeat. However, Tarn'se could now become as silent as a shadow. He would simply have to wait for the females to lead him to the younglings: easy prey. The death of their offspring and their failure to protect them would cripple the females, making them reckless and easier to kill.

The night was silent now. The rest of the clan had fled. Even the noises of the creatures in forests that surrounded the yautja city were silenced in awe of the power of the vampire.

The silence was broken by a cruel, high laugh.

Tarn'se spun and jumped when he saw Nacht standing a few feet from him, "My son, what a wondrous thing you have done here! What chaos! Even some of my most beloved fledglings could not have done this! You are truly worthy of the blood that runs through your veins!"

Tarn'se fell to his knees as Nacht approached him, knowing instinctively that Nacht was a stronger vampire than him and he would need to show the proper respect. He felt her long-fingered hand rest on his domed head. He looked up into her grinning face, her fangs long and pearly white. Her voice whispered through his head, _"You've done well… we'll finish them all."_

Tarn'se purred with pleasure, "Yes, my mistress," he replied, matching her fanged grin with one of his own.

* * *

Tarn'se yelped as he hit the floor of his quarters, he legs tangled in the fur blanket he had been covered in. His entire body was covered in thick sweat and his pores emitted a musky scent that stank of fear. His entire body shuddered and shook from nerves. He suddenly gagged and ran for the latrine, vomiting violently until dry heaves gripped his body. 

He moved away from the latrine and fell back on his bed feeling weak and sickly. Paya and Cetanu save him, the nightmares were getting worse! He had started to get them sporadically after he had introduced Eve to the Elders. They had been hazy and he could barely remember them when he woke up. Yet, the dreams had become more frequent and more vivid.

He shuddered as he remembered the bliss that he had been in. It was as if he were watching himself and no matter how much he screamed his body disobeyed his command and continued to reap havoc upon his clan.

He jumped and nearly fell off his bed a second time when a loud pounding came from his door. Tarn'se could tell it must be early in the yautja day. Stumbling to the door, and grabbing a light loincloth along the way, Tarn'se deactivated the lock on his door and it slid open to revel a rather disheveled Jaelre.

Jaelre looked as if he had woken to find a kanide amedha face hugger dangling above his face. He too wore a loose loincloth and his entire body was drooped in weariness, "What in Cetanu's hell is going on?"

Tarn'se stepped away from the door and let Jaelre into his room, gesturing to a chair which Jaelre fell into quickly. Locking the door Tarn'se sat on the edge of his bed, "What did you hear?" Jaelre's quarters were located next to Tarn'se's; Tarn'se could only guess at the racket he had been making in his sleep.

Jaelre snorted, "I don't know. It sounded like someone was skinning you alive. Why don't you tell me what I heard?"

"I've been getting… terrible dreams."

Jaelre looked both surprised and relieved, "Dreams? That's all? Well, that's not so…" he trailed off at the look Tarn'se gave him, "What are they about?"

"I dreamed… I had become one… a vampire." Tarn'se dove into the dream, forgotten images coming back to his mind. By the end of it Jaelre was regarding him with a look of concern and apprehension.

"You don't believe you could still be becoming a vampire, do you?"

Tarn'se shook his head, "No. I have no natural thirst for any sort of blood. I enjoy the warmth of the suns of our world on my back. I can eat any and all of our food. It's just these dreams are driving me insane!"

Jaelre seemed to think about it, "I wonder if that human is having dreams too?"

Tarn'se seemed to perk up at that thought, "Well, we could ask her."

"You are allowed to contact the humans?"

Tarn'se grinned, "I'm not prohibited from doing so…"

* * *

The stars wavered as a cloaked vessel sped by them, intent on the blue and green world before it. Fire ruptured around the ship as it plunged through the atmosphere speeding towards the ground. Coasting silently as a ghost over the treetops, the vessel settled within a clearing with a hiss and rumble of slowing engines. Blue-white electricity flickered as the cloaking devise that kept the ship invisible deactivated. 

The vessel was small, though big enough for one individual. Many scars littered the hull of the ship, whispering of the battles it had seen. However, past the scars and dents, the ship's design was obvious.

It was a yautja ship.

Inside, the walls pulsed with a muted crimson light casting shadows on the dark figure that sat in the pilot's seat. Her frame was short, but lithe with taunt muscle that hinted at the yautja's speed and stealth. Reds and browns freckled her dark yellow skin, patches of black breaking up her skin's symmetry. Dark orange eyes stared coldly at the computer monitor as it spat out statistics about the ship. Her armor was a dull black-bronze, the metal used in older style weapons and, like her ship, dull and worn with over usage.

Her mask, however, was a work of art. Metal ridges and carvings completely covered the silver mask, a fierce battle between two yautja, one male, one female, was delicately engraved and inlaid with glossy black stone on the large crown of the mask.

The female slowly pulled herself out of her seat, stretching her back languidly and rolling her shoulders; she had been aboard her stuffy ship for far too long. She exited the cockpit and made her way to the exit of the ship pausing for a moment to glance at the skulls that hung on her trophy wall.

Dozens of skulls of all species and sizes dominated the wall. She smiled maliciously as she reached out and stroked the bone ridge that made up the crown of one of the many yautja skulls that hung silently on the wall. She looked upon this one fondly; it belonged to an Arbitrator that had nearly captured her once, though she had outsmarted her in the end.

A flash of the battle came back to her mind. She had the Arbitrator pinned and was slowly bleeding the warrior to death, basking in the exquisite agony that she knew the Arbitrator felt every second. She had started to stand, thinking the Arbitrator dead, when the Arbitrator had grabbed a hold of her dreadlocks, pulled her face down and slammed a tiny vial of _kainde amedha_ acid against her forehead. The acid ate away at her flesh, leaving a starburst scar and, more importantly, destroying all remnants of her Blooding mark and marking her permanently as a Bad Blood.

She had immediately decapitated the Arbitrator in her anger. She could no longer return to any foreign clans, unless in secret. Before, she could have taken on any random pseudonym, but her destroyed mark signaled to any yautja that saw her that she was a criminal with a death sentence on her head.

She was Zet'rov, once one of the most highly esteemed trackers in her clan. However, she was also known to toy with her prey, torturing it for pleasure and amusement. Originally, her behavior was ignored as an adolescent tick. Later, though, the Elders began to take notice of the rumor of her sadistic nature, both on hunts and towards other hunters. The High Elder of her clan had commanded her to stop.

She skinned him alive.

_That_ particular action naturally didn't go over well with the rest of the Elders; they demanded her death, but she escaped, killing two Arbitrators in the process. She had been hunted ever since but had always managed to evade her trackers, being a skilled tracker herself.

And now she had come to Earth, deciding a few human skulls would look good on her wall.

As the ship's door opened and the ramp extended, Zet'rov basked in the chill Earth air that whipped into the ship, a stray thought blinking through her mind.

_Time to kill._

_And the plot thickens. I've got plans for this story. Please review and I'll try to get another chapter up within the next 2 weeks!_


	3. Unprecedented Developments

_A much quicker update this time; I love summer! Thanks to __**Oak Tree Woman, ben revell, wolf guardian of light, StormRaven333, Master of the Boot, **__and__** Raptor-Chick **__for the reviews. This chapter is a good bit longer than the others so I hope you enjoy it! Unfortunately, I won't update for two weeks or so because I'm off to Florida for vacation! Yayness! I had to chase my brother off the computer with a pointy stick so I could upload this, so I hope you like it!_

**Chapter 3: Unprecedented Developments**

Ravyn tapped her foot impatiently and sighed for perhaps the hundredth time that hour. Ivy shot Ravyn a glare, "You didn't _have _to come."

"Yes, I did. It looks good if a leader shows up to these things and Jonathan's leading a hunt tonight," Ravyn picked up her glass of white wine and took a sip, grimacing slightly. She had always been fonder of red wine until she started turning into a vampire. She still shuddered at the slight of red _Gatorade_.

They sat in the middle of an outdoor café, surrounded by many oblivious humans that had no idea that their fates would be decided at the little, dingy Plexiglas table. It was two hours away from dusk, ensuring that the negotiations would not be disrupted by vampires of any sort. They were awaiting the arrival of Laura, the Alpha female of the Moonsong pack, mate the Alpha Darien.

"She'll be here; she would not instigate a war between the Pack and a guild, especially during these times," Ivy said reassuringly.

Ravyn set down her glass roughly, "I know, it's just we shouldn't be dealing with the Pack. The Ash Guild is a vampire guild. The Ice Guild should be doing this, not us!"

"Ice is making sure we don't get our asses kicked by a rogue lycan group in the middle of a vampire hunt. Just work with them…"

Ravyn sighed, "I just _hate_ shape shifter politics. For every species they shift mannerisms and each pack has its own rules."

Ivy smiled, "Just go along with it… get ready."

Ravyn looked up and saw a lycanthrope strutting towards their table. She was stockier than most, but had a confident stride and a body of lean muscle. Strangely, the lycan wore a grey business suit that matched her steel grey hair and eyes. Ravyn had become so accustom to the general bare-as-much-skin-as-possible-without-being-naked style that such a proper looking supernatural looked… strange.

With simple grace, the lycan slid into the chair across from them. Her head tilted back slightly and her nose twitched as she caught the scent of the air. After a few moments she relaxed and finally acknowledged a patient Ivy and an annoyed Ravyn.

"Hunters," her voice was monotone and gave away no emotion.

"Alpha Laura," the two hunters intoned. They both stared at the table as Laura looked them over. To make eye contact was to challenge the Alpha, not a wise idea considering how vital it was for the guilds and the Pack to remain in each other's good graces.

After another pause, Ivy looked up, making sure to keep her eyes locked onto the amethyst brooch at Laura's neck, "You have heard our request… we ask for a reply."

Laura gave a small nod, "The Pack acknowledges your request, yet we remain… skeptical of the Guilds power."

Ravyn's head snapped up, but she bit back a retort as Ivy stomped roughly on her foot. Ivy continued, not missing a beat, "We understand that, but you do not realize the gravity of the situation."

"Do we not?" a slightly haughty tone entered Laura's voice, "Enlighten us then, hunters."

Ravyn leaned forward slightly and kept her voice low, "We have confirmed that the vampire Master Sebastian is coming here to claim Nacht's territory, bringing along the Bloodmark pack as reinforcements."

The flaring of Laura's nostrils was the only sign that she was surprised, "Indeed? And you are sure of this?"

"We are preparing our hunters and fortifying our guild houses. It's going to be a bloody battle, and all must take sides."

Laura paused, considering her next words, "Sides must be taken, yes, but which side to choose…"

"You'd side with them!?" Ravyn snapped, forgetting not to make eyes contact and flat out glaring at the Alpha.

Laura bristled at the breach in etiquette and snapped back, "My Alpha and I lead our pack to live not to die. We will not throw ourselves into a losing battle!"

"They'll annihilate you when we're gone!" Ravyn shot back.

"We are prepared to die fighting for our territory, but if we were to side with the winners, then perhaps a truce could be granted." Laura's eyes burned into Ravyn's trying to make the hunter back down.

Ravyn laughed in the Alpha's face.

"Do you really think Magnus and Cassandra are really going to share territory with you? You may be able to stand up to them alone, but with Sebastian at their backs they'd tear you apart. Join us and you have a chance. Join them and you might as well die now."

Ivy glanced nervously between the two, getting a bad feeling that Ravyn had just initiated a war between the Ash Guild and the Moonsong Pack.

Laura stared at Ravyn for a minute then spoke brusquely, "You are the Alpha of your pack, aren't you, Hunter Ravyn?"

"I'm a Guild Leader, yes."

Laura smirked, "Then, you understand how my mate and I hold the future of our pack in our hands. We must choose the stronger side. So, I feel a Duel is in order."

Ravyn blinked; she had no clue what a "Duel" was, "Ok then…" When Ivy whimpered Ravyn realized she may have made an error.

"It is settled then. In a week from now, at the half waxed moon, the Duel will commence. You will receive directions as to where it will take place. It will be judged by a neutral, chosen by your guild and agreed upon by my Pack," Laura stood slowly, her gaze both approving and smug, "Bring only yourself and your mate." With a nod to Ivy, Laura spun on her heel and gracefully stalked away.

* * *

"I can't believe you initiated a Duel!" Ivy growled at Ravyn, her reckless driving reflecting her anger. 

"If it helps us win this war, so be it," Ravyn replied smoothly. Pausing for a moment, Ravyn tried to sound casual in her next question, "So, this Duel… what is it exactly?"

Ivy slammed on the breaks and shrieked at Ravyn, "YOU AGREED TO A DUEL AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL IT IS!?"

Ravyn leaned as far away from Ivy as she could a muttered, "Um, yeah?"

Ivy began to drive again at the bequest of the noisy horns of the cars behind them, "Well, I hope you are prepared to fight for your life, because that's exactly what you have to do."

"What do you… holy shit!" Ravyn braced herself as a black form darted out in front of the car. Ivy slammed on the brakes though a resounding thump indicated that they had hit something. The sudden jolt of the car behind them ramming into them threw Ivy and Ravyn against their seatbelts.

"What the…" Ravyn stared in shock as a human hand grasped the hood of their car and a vampire pulled itself up from the ground, snapping its spine back into place so it could heal properly.

Ravyn blinked; was this a dream? She turned to the sky and saw the orange sun just starting to sink below the horizon. Vampires would never come out at least until the sun was completely down, yet Ivy just hit one with the car.

The vampire grimaced and stared at them. Ivy whispered to Ravyn, "There a gun in the glove compartment with sunlight serum coated bullets."

Ravyn didn't need another word, quickly opening the compartment and pulling out the gun. The vampire's eyes widened and it hissed, beginning to dart away. Ravyn saw the sun touch on its skin and realized the vampire was covered in zinc oxide. No sun would get past it, but the only problem for vampires was the stuff came off too quickly to be of any true use. In general, if vampire used it, it was only for excessively important situations that _had_ to be carried out during the day.

Suddenly the vampire was barreled into by a large dog-like form. Ravyn heard the vampire scream and watched as the lycan darted away into an alley, trailing the still glowing ash of the disintegrating vampire.

Ivy and Ravyn both stared dumbfounded, the calls of, "I hope that doggy's ok!" and other random chatter going unheard. Ivy was the first to recover, getting out of the car and exchanging information with the driver that rear-ended them. Ravyn simply stared at the gun in her lap and tried to comprehend what had just occurred. Ivy got back in the car and as she began to drive Ravyn whispered, "So, the war has already started."

* * *

Zet'rov carefully observed her surroundings. The human sun had fallen hours ago and the desire to hunt burned through her veins. Humans were out in numbers this night and she had plenty of prey to choose from. 

She most often chose her quarry based on its standing in the species society. She had no desire to hunt the average; she wanted to pick the ones that somehow made it to the top of society and had the most power. She loved to see the terror and despair in their faces when they realized all their power was not enough to save them from death.

For three hours she sat as still as a statue upon the large concrete and steel overhang of one of the larger buildings in the most gaudy part of the human city. After an hour she could begin to pick up on the tell-tale signs of status amongst the humans. Those with wealth tended to cover themselves in strange ornaments and vestments. Also, the lesser humans tended to either shy away from or crowd around their betters, shouting cheers and praise. Apparently, the building next to the one she watched from was hosting some sort of celebration for the higher humans.

She watched as the crowds faded and the night turned darker. Her patience was unlimited. As she expected, an hour or so before dawn, the humans began to file out of the building and enter large transporters that would take them to their dwellings.

Zet'rov was torn between two humans: a male that had an aura of strength about him and was apparently heading the celebration and a female, small and fragile looking, but wrapped in an elaborate tangle of cloth and surrounded by three, large, dangerous looking males.

Zet'rov watched the two enter their own separate transports and chose…

* * *

"What a party! One of the best this year!" Sandra Marks crowed, slightly drunk, but delighted all the same. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, ma'am," her guard, Jones, replied with a little smile. He'd had a lot of tough jobs in the past, his employers picky and downright scathing, but he'd lucked out this time with Miss Marks. As longs as they kept the paparazzi at bay and she wasn't too late for her parties, she was happy.

"What was this one about?" asked Kaser, another guard, dark skinned, slightly shorter but bulkier than Jones.

"Some sort of annual anniversary of yet another mega-corporation; the usual," Lyn, the tallest of the three, muttered, "they're celebrating another year of survival and the death of the hundreds of smaller companies run by the few honest people left in the world."

"Oh, Lyn, don't be such a liberal," Sandra drawled, "They pay your paycheck regularly, don't they?" Lyn rolled his eyes and didn't answer.

Jones grinned at Sandra's candor; even drunk she retained some of her wit. He leaned back and gazed out the tinted window of the limo as Sandra began to prattle on about who was having affairs with whom and the like. The moon was dark and the sky was overcast with thick clouds. The artificial light of the city was reflected by the clouds, making it appear as though a dull orange blanket was covering the city.

A dark flicker against the orange sky caught Jones' attention. As he watched he could see a form darting from building to building, moving in the same direction as the limo. Though he would have guessed the form to be human, it matched the speed of the car, 50mph, which was impossible for any human.

Suddenly, the figure disappeared. Jones blinked and turned to the others, "Did any of you see…"

There was a loud crunch and the limo swerved, flinging the group around inside. Sandra screamed while the guards cursed. Jones managed to roll to the front of the limo and put his face up to the window that separated the driver and the passengers. His eyes widened as he saw the driver pinned to the seat by a huge sword-like dagger. Blood flowed sluggishly out of the wound in a dark red trail. Jones' wrenched the window open and grabbed for the steering wheel. The limo jerked to the side suddenly and he could see that it was heading straight for a building. He quickly dropped back into the back of the limo and prepared for the impact.

* * *

Sandra groaned as she felt someone grab her arm, "Miss Marks, we have to get moving." It was Jones. She opened her eyes groggily and tried to ask what happened though the words came out garbled and wrong. She felt another arm at her side and saw Lyn helping her up as Kaser wrenched the door of the limo open. 

As she stepped out of the car, Sandra was shocked to find herself in a rather dark, dusty, decrepit room containing a moth-eaten chair and a desk. Wood, insulation, and other debris were scattered everywhere. She blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was going on when Kaser swore, "Dammit, we are lucky sons-a-bitches. The limo smashed right through the front of the building."

"What?" Sandra mumbled.

"It's the old Welshire building Miss," Jones explained softly, "It's condemned and due to be demolished next week."

"No wonder," Lyn grunted, looking for a way out of the room, "This place is a wreck. If we'd crashed anywhere else we've been liquefied. The entire front was old rotten wood and drywall. We tore through it like tissue paper."

"Can we get out that way?" asked Jones.

"Wouldn't be safe. Nearly the entire front of the store collapsed; I wouldn't risk it," Lyn shook his head, "There should be a safer way out in the back." Lyn gestured to a darkened doorway at the back of the room.

Sandra felt Jones tug her in the right direction when Kaser shouted, "Holy shit! What the hell happened to the driver!? What is that thing, some kind of sword?!"

"I don't know what it is, but get away from it," Jones snapped, "the cops will want to take it for fingerprinting or something. Come on Miss…"

The group trudged through the building, occasionally hitting off a wall or old piece of furniture with a curse. The only light came though the slats of the sporadically spaced, boarded up windows.

A loud shriek pierced the air, causing the group to freeze, "What was that?" Kaser asked, pulling out a Berretta from the inside of his torn, dusty jacket. Jones and Lyn followed in suit, pulling their own guns.

"I don't know," Lyn muttered, "I've never heard that sound before." A sudden clicking caused them all to turn, keeping Sandra in the center of the group with Jones facing the way they had come and Lyn and Kaser facing the way they were going. Jones strained his eyes to see in the darkness.

"What's going on?" Sandra asked in a quite tone, though Jones could tell that she was crying.

"Don't you worry, we'll get you out of here safe, and I'm buying us all shots," Lyn joked, the group laughing nervously in response. Those were the last words Lyn ever spoke.

The shriek returned, not sounding far off, but echoing right above them.

Jones looked up to see a huge figure drop through a hole in the decayed ceiling to land right before Lyn and Kaser. Lyn didn't have a chance to get off a shot before his head was ripped from his shoulders. Jones felt the warm spatter of blood hit his face and he heard Sandra scream and Kaser begin to fire. Jones grabbed Sandra and flung her behind him, "RUN!" He turned and grabbed Kaser who was still firing and pulled him backwards, trying to follow Sandra and get away from whatever had just slaughtered Lyn.

Sandra bolted down the hallway, tripping in her high heels over the hem of her dress. She heard the gunfire and Jones' and Kaser's screams which prompted her to run faster. She bolted past the room where the limo had crashed, knowing there was no way out there. Reaching the end of the hallway, she desperately tried the door, only to find it locked. The only other accessible way was a staircase. Glancing back down the hallway, she saw the bright flashes of the guns firing and she heard Jones shout for her to run again.

She tried to take the stairs as many as she could at a time. In the end she leaned over and propelled herself along with both her hands and her feet, moving quickly up the two flights of stairs. On the top floor she glanced dawn again and saw Jones and Kaser running up the steps. Kaser was limping and blood flowed profusely out of his leg. She felt her knees go weak at the sight of the crimson flow but Jones saw her waiting and screamed for her to keep moving.

Darting into the second floor hallway, Sandra ran her hands along the filthy walls trying to find her way in the pitch blackness. She screamed as her foot met empty air and she fell forward onto the floor. Her manicured nails scratched at the floor and she pulled herself away from the hole in the floor. Regaining her balance Sandra stumbled along the wall until she found an unlocked door.

She practically fell into the room and crawled to a window letting out a cry of despair at the boarded up windows. She began to tug at the boards when she looked back and saw Jones stumble into the room. There was a cry of pain and she realized that with his injured leg, Kaser had probably stepped into the hole in the floor as she did. As Jones grabbed the door and slammed it shut, she heard two gunshots then a gruesome squish of flesh tearing from bone.

Jones backed up to the wall next to her and tried to help her pry the boards off the windows when the door burst inwards and a nightmarish creature lunged out of the darkness of the hallway and made it across the room in two long strides, grabbing Jones by the throat and heaving him into the air. Sandra screamed and lunged at the monster, hoping that she might do it some sort of damage while it was distracted.

However, the monster must have seen her coming because it swatted her away, launching Sandra into the wall. Her head snapped back, hitting the wall sharply, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Sandra awoke on the floor, opening her eyes groggily. Her mind snapped back into full wakefulness when she saw the bodies of two of her guards strung up from the ceiling. Jones was one of them, his dead eyes open and staring and the other was skinned, red, bloody muscle glittering in the little light that shined through the slats of the boarded up window. She only recognized it as Lyn because it had no head. 

Kaser was lying on the ground on his back, his chest caved in and filled with gore. Sandra wasn't sure whether to vomit or scream. She settled for screaming when the monster that had attacked them stepped out from behind the hanging body of Lyn. The creature lunged at her with remarkable speed for its' large size as it grabbed her over her mouth to silence her and quickly jabbed a tiny tack-like object into her neck.

Sandra felt all of her muscles relax as it she'd be given a hundred shots of Novocain. The creature stepped back, assured she'd make no more noise. It stared at her for a moment, then calmly strode over to Kaser's body and used its' foot to flip the corpse over on its' stomach. Glancing at Sandra once more, it reached down and sank its' clawed hand into the corpse's back, eventually ripping out of the spine and skull together. Sandra would have screamed if she could.

It glanced at her again and Sandra heard a strange clicking noise. It turned away from her then went to the hanging body of Jones. The monster pulled out a strange curved knife, glanced at her again, and then began flaying the skin off of Jones' body, making the strange clicking noise the entire time.

Sandra could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance; the police would be hear soon, but she knew that they would be too late.

Sandra wept in her mind not only for the deaths of her guards but for the knowledge that soon it would be her turn to be flayed by the monster.

_I hope you guys liked this one; took me forever to write. Please Review and the chapters will keep coming!_


	4. Shadows

_Sorry for the long wait. Harry Potter 7 came out so I was busy reading that about a hundred times. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone, but I just want to say one thing: Voldemort can freakin' fly! I thought that was so cool. Ok, enough of that. Thanks to __**Oak Tree Woman, Ralf Jones, Maugen Ra, theoldman, StormRaven333, Master of the Boot, **__and__** Raptor-Chick **__for the reviews. Here's the next chapter!_

**Chapter 4: Shadows**

The ship shook violently as it began to pierce the atmosphere of the blue-green planet. The Yautja were all strapped into their harnesses and looked vaguely bored as they awaited the ship to cease its rumblings.

Tarn'se sat in the copilot's seat while Jaelre's hands ran across the control panel with practiced ease. Grinning inwardly, Tarn'se felt both glad and envious of his friend. Should old age or injury cripple Jaelre and prevent the Yautja from hunting, his skills with technology would keep him from losing his honor or being made an Eta, or servant. Many Yautja would give an eye to have the skills Jaelre possessed.

"Same location as last time?" Jaelre asked, snapping Tarn'se out of his thoughts. At his friend's affirmative click, Jaelre typed in the appropriate coordinates then relaxed in his seat, "It is done; we'll be landing on the planet's surface in minutes…" Jaelre trailed off and spoke in a quieter voice, "Another nightmare last night?"

"Worst than the last," Tarn'se grunted. The last few nights had been peaceful with the exception of the most recent. It had been a continuation of the previous and proved to be more vivid and terrible though Tarn'se had not thought it possible.

"So, you _are _going to see the human hunters then?"

Tarn'se nodded, "I must; these dreams are a handicap. I plan to try to locate them after the first hunt. We will hunt and then rest a day, no exceptions. All the warriors must be in top condition to hunt the vampires. It's a pity we do not have more warriors that have fought the vampires."

"Most were off on hunts and the few others that were on the home world were either too busy or didn't want to go. We cannot blame them for their hesitance," Jaelre said softly. Though none admitted it, Tarn'se was pretty sure a few of his fellows had been bitten by the vampires and if their reactions had been anything like Jaelre's, he understood their fear. Though a warrior could be called a coward for harboring such a fear, it was hard not fear a creature that could twist one's very thoughts when there was nothing to guard against such an occurrence but sheer will.

The ship descended quickly through the sky, invisible to the humans but for a shimmer that was there then gone an instant later. Jaelre's claws moved over the controls as he glanced at the screens of the ship, finally tapping the correct buttons to halt the ship and make it descend. With a small shudder the ship settled upon the ground.

Tarn'se and Jaelre unhooked their harnesses and move to the door of the cockpit. It was time for Tarn'se to give the final speech to the warriors and begin the hunt.

"I know you all have been preparing for this hunt for weeks," Tarn'se began, knowing that he had the crowd's full attention, "and no lecture from me will really make much of a difference at this point, so I will spare you the needless babble most leaders give you before your usual hunts." The crowd laughed lightly at the comment.

This was the first time Tarn'se had led a hunt. Though he did enjoy the regular perks of being Leader, he knew that it wasn't all luxury and honor. The pinnacle concept of the position of Leader was to guide and lead his clan into honorable battle… not a slaughter.

"However, this is a hunt like none that you've never faced before," Tarn'se gestured to the Blooding mark, a tilted crescent shape with a line through it, "From my previous experience with vampires, I can only compare them to the _kanide amedha_ and I truly cannot judge which is more dangerous."

A few sets of eyes widened. _Kainde amedha _were the most feared and dangerous prey the Yautja knew; saying that something was their equal was unheard of.

"You all have heard of the vampires'… unique abilities: teleportation, instant healing, forms of telekinesis and telepathy, and they most likely have other abilities we haven't yet seen." Tarn'se paused, unsure of his next words, "I, personally, have been on the receiving end of a mental attack from a vampire and I was completely incapacitated. I could move. I could not fight. There was nothing but pain," he paused, almost forgetting that he had an audience, he was so deep into his memories, "I was… helpless."

Tarn'se glanced back at the warriors, taking in their reactions. Though he saw traces of unease and even apprehension, he saw no fear. He realized he had yet to get the full point across to them. He glanced at Far'hnde who was watching him carefully.

"And that was not the worst of my trials… I believe you've all been instructed about how vampires feed?" Affirmative nods passed through the crowd, "To be bitten by a vampire is to have your will tested by the gods themselves." Tarn'se made a point not to look at Jaelre, "Should your will be strong enough, you can break through their illusions and finish them off; you'll find they are easy prey when they feed. Yet, if you are not strong enough…" Tarn'se stared at each warrior hard before continuing, "You will be drained dry and left for the scavengers."

He paused once more not knowing whether to continue. He knew Yautja could be infected with this virus, but his own infection had been kept a secret by all those who had known. He was cured and any mention of his previous… ailment, would only bring him dishonor and, should the elders take the news badly, a quick execution. He still held a silent debt to each of those hunters.

"You have been well instructed on how vampires propagate, through feeding their own infected blood to another human," Tarn'se glanced at Jaelre and Far'hnde; neither moved to silence him so he continued, "and it is very possible that the virus can be transferred to a Yautja."

There was a quiet hiss that passed through the group. Tarn'se guessed a few had already come to this conclusion but he knew that none of them liked the idea.

"So, I tell you this; should you even have the slightest concern that you may be infected with the vampire virus, you are to report to me immediately. There is a cure for one infected, but do not let that knowledge make you careless. It requires the blood of the vampire that infected you; if that vampire escapes or dies, so does your hope of a cure."

A female warrior, known as Hes'ker, held her arm parallel to her chest, signaling she had a question. Tarn'se acknowledged her and she spoke, "How do we know of this cure?"

Tarn'se gave her an approving smile, "An excellent question which leads to my final statement before we can get out of this damned ship and get hunting. The cure was discovered by a vampire, the one I killed in fact, Nacht was her name. This cure was stolen by human vampire hunters and refined. As you all know, these hunters provided a good deal of aid to the first party of hunters that met the vampires and they are _not_ to be harmed unless they for some reason attack you. Should you encounter one, let it pass, they will do you no harm.

"Now that we're done with that," Tarn'se signaled to Jaelre to open the ramp to the outside, "I expect this will be a hunt like no other. Some of you will die; there is no doubt about that in my mind. But, should you survive," Tarn'se grinned fiercely, "You will have the greatest hunt of you lives!"

* * *

"Excellent speech; you spooked them enough to make them cautious then got them all excited," Jaelre laughed as he stood with Tarn'se and the base of the ramp that lead into the ship.

"Yes, your speech was very well executed," Far'hnde rasped, appearing next to Tarn'se causing the two warriors to start. Tarn'se was amazed at how Far'hnde could move like a shadow, invisible even to his own species, "You were wise to mention the possibility of infection; you may have saved some of their lives through that."

"Though considering certain individuals' intelligence it's unlikely," Jaelre laughed, gaining a grin from Tarn'se but no response from Far'hnde.

Tarn'se lost his grin and looked out over the warriors who were running through stretches and basic combat drills that helped them adapt to the planet's gravity and structure, "After what happened to me, I would not wish such a fate on even my worst enemies."

Far'hnde nodded, "Knowledge can often prepare one more than any amount of training ever could."

Tarn'se held back a laugh when he saw Jaelre crudely, but silently, mimic Far'hnde's words and gestures as he put on his mask. Tarn'se followed in suit, his breathing already shallow from breathing the thin air of Earth.

"They will follow you; lead them well," Far'hnde finished, tapping Tarn'se's chest armor in respect, then Jaelre's.

"I'm never becoming an Arbitrator," Jaelre muttered once Far'hnde was out of earshot, "You become some old sage who speaks only riddles and has no sense of humor."

"He's seen a lot of terrible things in his life; it's not surprising that he has no sense of humor."

"We'd better get hunting if we want to find some vampires in time to properly hunt them," Jaelre commented, gazing towards the pinkish horizon where the sun had just set.

"Let's get into position then," Tarn'se grinned striding out into the field, unleashing a loud roar that told the warriors to get into their positions. A dull thump caught Tarn'se's attention and he turned to find Jaelre sprawled on the ground, his weapon's belt around his ankles. The clearing was soon filled with the strange clicking laughter of the Yautja.

"You'd best tighten that belt, Warrior Jaelre," Far'hnde chuckled, appearing again at Tarn'se's side, "It would not do you well for it to fall down when fighting a vampire."

Tarn'se's mask hid his incredulous expression,

* * *

"…and then the lycan ran off. There was no way we could have caught it," Ravyn finished. Jonathan leaned against the wall and befuddled expression on his face.

"So, the lycan _killed_ the vampire which was covered in zinc oxide?" At Ravyn's nod Jonathan asked the obvious question, "Why the hell was the vampire running around during the day?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ravyn shrugged, "I'm pretty sure the lycan was not one of the Moonsong pack; from what I gathered from Laura, she and her Alpha, Francis, are keeping their heads low. They wouldn't kill a vampire, let alone in broad daylight."

"That would leave the Bloodmark pack," Jonathan sighed, "but why would a Bloodmark lycan kill a vampire? It couldn't have been one of Sebastian's, but then, whose was it?"

Jonathan straightened and looked at Ravyn who matched his gaze. They spoke simultaneously, "Eve."

Ravyn nodded, "She's the only one who has any legitimate claim to the territory and she's smart enough to know that Sebastian and the lycans would not expect a vampiric spy to be snooping around during the day."

"But if she cares for the territory…" Jonathan started.

"…then where the hell is she," Ravyn finished, "Ivy's working on it, but we've found nothing."

"Keep looking; Eve's a very benevolent Master vampire," at Ravyn's glare Jonathan added, "compared to all the others. It's likely if we tell her about Sebastian she'll show. I know Nacht hated Sebastian's guts; it is likely that Eve does too."

"Well, Eve isn't exactly a normal vampire now is she?" Ravyn said, "Now, the Duel I told you about… um, what are we doing exactly?"

Jonathan gave her a hard look and Ravyn sighed, "Oh, com'mon Jonathan, I've had a bad week as it is. Leave the reprimand for later and just tell me what shit I got myself into this time."

"Well, a Duel is often reserved for when two packs want to make an alliance, but one isn't very sure about the other's power. So, the two Alphas of each pack meet up and fight."

"What kind of fight?" Ravyn was already beginning to _really _not like this.

"They'd normally be in their lycan form and probably still will be in this Duel though we'll probably be allowed two close combat weapons to substitute for claws."

"What about biting?"

"There will be no biting; we are human and the last thing they need is to infect the leader of a powerful guild. We won't have to worry about any accidents; they're Alphas for a good reason. They have the most control out of all the members of their pack."

"Ok, how to we win?"

"Once one participant is pinned, the winning group takes all."

"One participant?"

"Yes. Alphas work as a team, so when one loses, both loses."

"Ok then," Ravyn nodded, "I think we can do this."

"When is it?"

"When the moon is half waxed," Ravyn glanced up and saw Jonathan's expression, "What's wrong?"

"That's the night of the Guilds' Gathering. I can't miss that."

Ravyn blinked, "Can't you reschedule?"

Jonathan laughed, "Yeah, I'll just call the dozen or so guild leaders and tell them the Guild that is heading the gathering can't make it. They'll love that."

"So, should I reschedule with Laura?"

"You can't," Jonathan shook his head, "That will go as an automatic forfeit. You'll need to find someone else but me to go with you."

"Am I allowed to do that?"

Jonathan grinned, "This is where being single comes in handy. She said bring your _mate_ right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, pick the best hunter in the guild and just tell Laura that's who you selected."

"Won't she know?"

"Because you have no 'mate', you cannot be faulted for just bringing a random person with you."

Ravyn sighed, "Besides you I really don't have complete confidence in any other hunter to take on an Alpha like Francis. He may be big and bulky, but he's no air-headed jock."

Jonathan shrugged, "You'll just have to work with it."

"All right then," Ravyn sighed, "I'm going to bed if that's all."

"Actually," Jonathan said softly, "There is something else."

"What is it?' Ravyn asked, confused at Jonathan's tone.

Jonathan grabbed a newspaper off Ravyn's desk and tossed it to her, "You need to start reading this."

Ravyn glanced at the title: **"Millionaire Sandra Marks Found Butchered In Condemned Home"**. She blinked, "So a millionaire is murdered, most likely by some hit man hired by her greedy kids, and he or she happened to be a little bloodier than most…"

Jonathan rolled his eyes, "Read how she was found."

Ravyn skimmed the article her eyes widening, "Guards skinned and decapitated…" She looked at Jonathan, "So, our alien buddies are back."

"They weren't that bad. I've got more info from an informant inside the police department. Apparently, the her limo crashed into a condemned building, after the driver was killed by some sort of blade; the hood was all dented up, though two large dents look like they were made _before_ the limo crashed."

"One of them _jumped_ onto the limo?"

"It seems that way. Once the limo crashed Marks and her three guards tried to get her out of the building through the back because the front had collapsed. One was killed in the 1st floor hallway, another killed in the 2nd floor hallway and the last guard and Marks were found dead in one of the rooms on the second floor."

"Ok… so they've decided to be more daring."

"And most sadistic; Marks's corpse was found with some sort of drug in her system that caused temporary paralysis. When the cops arrived approximately five minutes after the crash, they took their time getting into the building for fear it would collapse. Fifteen minutes later they were in and found the limo deserted. Five minutes later they found Marks, partially skinned and decapitated. Her neck was still seeping blood, so our friend had left only moments before. Finally, comparing Marks' time of death to those of her guards, she was alive and most likely conscious for the extra fifteen or so minutes, watching two of her guards get skinned and decapitated. Hopefully she was unconscious when it was her turn to be flayed"

Ravyn blinked, "So he skinned two guards and took all of their heads in under twenty minutes while keeping Marks alive to watch, only to kill her just as the police came." At Jonathan's nod Ravyn shook her head, "That's not right."

"What do you mean? I haven't met many other beings that take heads and skin people."

"It's not that, they just aren't sadistic, or at least Tarn'se and his group wasn't; ask Ivy. She got in his mind once and she said that their whole system is based on honor and a fair fight. If it was one of them, they wouldn't have killed Marks. She would have been defenseless."

Jonathan looked lost, "Then what's going on?"

Ravyn sighed, "I have no clue…"

_I promise there will be some fighting in the next chapter!_


	5. Predatory Prey

_Sorry about the long wait! I was visiting colleges the past few weeks and school has now started up… ick.. Thanks to **wolf guardian of light**__**, LovyDovy, not aqua, StormRaven333, Master of the Boot, **__and__** Raptor-Chick **__for the reviews. Here's the next chapter!_

**Chapter 5: Predatory Prey**

The Yautja raced silently through the night. They had only recently escaped the deep forests that bordered the steel jungle of the city. The sun had set and the moon was beginning to rise in the blue-black sky, a thin crescent that provided little light.

To Tarn'se and his fellows, the human world was painted in cool blues and greens and fluorescent reds and yellows. Jumbled sounds created a chaotic tone that floated through the air, some fragments being picked up by the yautjas' masks. They leapt cloaked from rooftop to rooftop, making sure to touch down softly and silently, though the largely populated part of the city. People strolled down the streets, oblivious to the group of aliens that raced over their heads.

As they began to enter the more rundown parts of the city, the noise of the populated areas began to die and give way to silence and the wails of the winds. Tarn'se slowed the silent race by holding up his arm. There were still humans in this area, but not enough to discourage vampiric activity. As he remembered, vampires tended to stay in lower populated areas as to not draw attention to themselves. Though their nests appeared rundown and dead on the outside, the insides were quite the opposite; hundreds of years provided much time for any vampire to become rather affluent.

He turned to the group, "You know what you are looking for. The most obvious sign is the lack of body heat. The hot seasons are beginning to pass, so humans will be seen wearing thicker clothing, but don't confuse an insulated human with a vampire. If you believe you've spotted one, report it to the head of your group and follow it. The first hunt will be with the entire group." Tarn'se snapped at the hisses of disappointment he received from some of the group, "You've never faced vampires before. Until you all have, we will hunt as a group; if you are bitten, I guarantee you will not find having your fellows nearby as an annoyance."

Tarn'se quickly separated the group into three parties, one headed by himself, another by Far'hnde, and the final by Jaelre, "Follow the head of your group. Jaelre's party will head west of the moon, Far'hnde's to the east, and my own directly forward. May the Gods grant us prey." With that the groups dispersed.

Tarn'se was praying that at least one group would find something. Before, he had found vampires by following the human hunting parties. This was the first time he was searching on his own for them. He hopes having four extra sets of eyes would aid in spotting the vampires. It would be rather difficult spotting a creature that could disappear in an instant and reappear a mile away a second later.

A loud commotion made the group freeze. Sharp cracks and scream ripped through the air from a dark crevice in the buildings nearby. Tarn'se signaled for the group to go investigate. They moved silently towards the noise and found two groups of humans fighting. Projectile weapons were scattered, most likely empty of their ammunition. Two humans lay dead, another injured while five others fought.

The group looked to Tarn'se who shook his head. Though these humans would be prime prey, they were not the prey they had come to earth to hunt. Hiding his disappointment, Tarn'se led his group on.

It had been at least three earth hours into the hunt when Tarn'se got a transmission from Jaelre.

"We've found some," was all Jaelre would say.

Tarn'se led his group as quickly as possible to Jaelre's coordinates. He arrived moments before Far'hnde's group.

"Where?" Tarn'se asked quietly.

Jaelre gestured to a building across from the one they were on, "There were three of them. The vampires dragged two humans into the building a few minutes ago."

"Are you sure they are vampires?"

Jaelre kept staring at the building, "Well, one of the vampires ripped one of the humans' throats out and started to feed."

Tarn'se gave a quick nod, "It's a vampire then."

"Should we wait for them to exit or should we go in after them?" Jaelre asked.

Tarn'se thought a moment, "We should wait at least an hour; I don't want to lead the group into an ambush. We may have to try to flush them out somehow otherwise…"

"You won't have to,' Far'hnde hissed pointing. Tarn'se looked to see the three vampires exit the building, laughing. They all wore standard human looking clothing, nothing odd like the strange robes or costumes he had seen the vampires in before.

He quickly led the group to an intersection of streets and scanned them. There were no signs of humans. He turned to the group, "And here is the first battle. Two of you and I will fight this battle. The rest of you will surround the area. Don't let the vampires escape if they try to run or if they teleport to these rooftops. Do _not_ be surprised if a vampire suddenly appears next to you; kill it and be done with it. If one of us calls for aid, then join the battle." Tarn'se turned to see the vampires walking down the center of the street. One seemed to be some sort of mockery of a dance, "Kitt'eln and Dras'gil, come with me; the rest of you spread out to the surrounding buildings; _no one_ watches alone."

Tarn'se led to two warriors down to ground level. He chose them in particular because they seemed to be the most levelheaded of the group. Watching the vampires approach, Tarn'se whispered, "They may be armed. I will move in front of them and distract them. Move in from behind though they will most likely sense you before you attack. For a trophy you can take a scrap of their clothing, their weapon if they have one, or anything else that's left. You've trained for this; good hunting." The two warriors saluted him as Tarn'se darted out into the open, still cloaked.

When the vampires were about fifteen yards away, Tarn'se uncloaked in front of them. The vampires yelped and hissed at his sudden appearance. He tapped his wrist computer, and mask began to translate the vampires' words.

"…one of those demon creatures! Like the one that killed the Master Nacht!" one hisses, a tall male.

"Could it be the same one?" the female of the group asked.

"No. There haven't been any sightings of one of those things for months!" the other male snapped.

"What about the skinnings? That stuff happened that last time those things showed up!"

Tarn'se stood calmly while the vampires argued. It did not surprise him that the vampires knew about him; he had not been very discreet the last time he was on earth. However, the comment about skinning hit him as odd. There were no other Yautja parties scheduled to hunt in this area.

"Shut up!" the tall one snapped at the other two, "Just kill it!"

Tarn'se whipped out his spear and a dagger at those words when the tall vampire and the female one disappeared. He curse mentally; Kitt'eln and Dras'gil would now be out of position! He spun, swinging his spear in an arch, hoping the vampires were as predictable as the last time.

They were. The female vampire howled as his spear slammed into her stomach. Tarn'se threw his dagger at the shorter vampire who was charging. As he released it he knew his aim had been off; the dagger would hit, but nowhere near the vampire's heart. Tarn'se caught a glimpse of the tall vampire charging at him and he braced for its impact.

The impact never came. The tale vampire shrieked as Kitt'eln appeared and rammed her wrist blades through the vampire's chest. She must have not hit the heart though because as the vampire fell back, it grabbed her and pulled her with it, rolling backwards and flipping her off of it.

Tarn'se turned back to the female vampire who was trying to reach him, still speared through the middle. Tarn'se spun his spear, launching the vampire off and into the wall of a building.

Tarn'se glanced over and saw Dras'gil in pitched battle with the other male vampire. The vampire kept teleporting but Dras'gil was doing a good job of keeping up with it. Once the vampire broken through Dras'gil's defense and raked its claws down his chest, drawing a hiss of pain from the warrior who responded with a sharp jab to the vampire's throat. The vampire teleported back, but Tarn'se could tell it was tiring because its teleportations were becoming more sporadic.

A loud shriek caught Tarn'se's attention as he watched the tall male vampire leapt a Kitt'eln who barely managed to dodge the remarkably fast lunge. However, she did manage to catch a hold of the vampire's passing leg. Swinging the vampire with ease, Kitt'eln slammed it into the hard street, stunning it. She dove down and managed to pin the tall vampire to the ground and with a powerful punch, she drove a dagger through its heart. The vampire rapidly began to dissolve into ash. Another cry signified that Dras'gil too had been successful.

Tarn'se turned to the female vampire that had finally picked herself off the ground. He watched as she grabbed her twisted arm and snapped her bones back into place. Her eyes widened at the slight of the three yautja and she screamed and teleported away.

Tarn'se heard sharp cries from the roof top of the building the vampire had been in front of followed by a scream of agony as the vampire met the same fate as her two companions.

Tarn'se looked at Kitt'eln and Dras'gil who were both breathing heavily and their stance betrayed the fact they were a little shaken from their battles. Dras'gil was staring at the broken blade of what was once a rather well made dagger and Kitt'eln was looking at her spear which was lodged two thirds the way up the wall of a building where the vampire that had ripped it from her hands had thrown it. Tarn'se laughed, "I told you you'd never hunted anything like this before."

* * *

Tarn'se felt a surge of pride as he watched two more of his group finish off their respective vampires. They _had_ been listening to him during their training.

They had found three more groups of vampires, one of five, six, and eight. Each hunter, including Jaelre and Far'hnde had gotten their turn at fighting the vampires and they were all remarkably successful. Not a single hunter had sustained a bite though many had scratches and minor wounds dealt to them. Far'hnde had actually dueled with two vampires at once and came away with only three light scratches across his chest that would probably not even scar!

Dawn was only a human hour or so away when Tarn'se signaled to the group that it was time to return to the ship. The hunters seemed reluctant to leave, but Tarn'se knew better than to let them drain all their energy in one night.

"Not bad for their first time," Jaelre chuckled. Lowering his voice he added, "Though it was highly amusing when Sal'ekt got knocked on her ass by that tiny vampire." Sal'ekt was probably the largest yautja in the group and the vampire had been half her size. Tarn'se wasn't sure whether skill or luck saved Sal'ekt from a bite when the vampire was on top of her; she had managed to impale the vampire through the chest with her wrist blades when it lunged at her neck.

"They know what they're up against now," Tarn'se nodded, "I'm just glad that we found so many vampires; I can only imagine what would have happened if we found none."

"They probably would have strung you up by… wait," Jaelre stopped and turned, tensing.

"What's wrong…" Tarn'se turned as a vampire appeared directed above him and knocked him to the ground. His spear went flying and the vampire had his right hand with his wrist blades pinned. He heard his fellows shriek in surprise and anger though the vampire had already planned for them. It let out a scream that tore through the air, making the yautja shriek in pain at the sound.

Tarn'se gasped and struggled to throw the vampire off him before it bit him or his head exploded from the pain, whichever came first.

The sound cut off suddenly, allowing Tarn'se a momentary reprieve until the vampire lunged with its fangs bared. Tarn'se managed to put his left arm up for a block but the vampire decided that piece of offered flesh was enough to dig into.

Tarn'se felt a prick of pain then the dreadfully familiar calming sensation that accompanied a vampire's bite. He felt his body begin to relax as if he were floating off into a blissful sleep that he never wanted to end.

Suddenly, the bliss ended and he was back on his home world, Nacht at his side laughing as she ripped out the throat of a small yautja child and buried her face in the torn flesh and gristle. Around him the ground was speckled with luminescent blood and organ and the shrieks of the wounded and dying echoed in a terrible chorus.

He laughed at Nacht fervor and reached for a whimpering, dying form to satisfy his bloodlust.

The images cut viciously through the bliss of the vampire bite and, as if he was waking from a nightmare, Tarn'se snapped out of the vampire's illusion and managed to roll and get the vampire under him. Pulling his arm back as far as the vampire allowed, Tarn'se began slamming its head into the concrete-reinforced roof of the building.

After two heavy hits the vampire's grip loosened enough for Tarn'se to wrench his arm out of the vampire's mouth. Pain returned to the wound suddenly and the vampire teleported out from under him and reappeared a few feet away as it opened its mouth and shrieked again. However, Tarn'se had already thrown his disc and though it didn't decapitate the vampire, it slit deep enough into its throat to cut its vocal cords.

The vampire's shriek became a gurgle as it clutched at its throat that was now gushing blood. Tarn'se moved quickly, swinging his arm and unsheathing his wrist blades in one, and finished decapitating the vampire.

Tarn'se sighed as the vampire's body began to disintegrate and glanced at his arm which was still tingling. He turned to his group which was staring in shock from the pile of ash that was the vampire to his bleeding arm.

He gestured to his arm vaguely "That's what can happen when you don't pay enough attention to your surroundings."

* * *

Tarn'se sat in his quarters, slowly bandaging the wound in his arm. It seemed that vampire saliva had some sort of anti-coagulant in it that prevented wounds from closing quickly. The twin holes were still oozing blood when Tarn'se got back to the ship.

A knock rang out from his door and Tarn'se stated in a dry voice, "Enter." He wasn't in the mood for company.

Jaelre slipped in the room and shut the door, standing at the door and regarding Tarn'se with a partially curious, partially suspicious look.

Tarn'se continued to wrap his arm, though after a few awkward minutes of silence, he snapped at Jaelre, "Did you come here to simply stare at me or did you want something?"

Jaelre hissed quietly at Tarn'se's tone, "Well, you're not being very open of your own intentions so why should I express my own."

Tarn'se gave Jaelre a blank stare, "What?"

"Ever since the vampire bit you, you haven't talked and hardly acknowledged any of the hunters; they won't admit it but they're concerned that the bite has affected your mind."

Tarn'se stopped wrapping his wound and spoke in a hollow voice, "When the vampire bit me, the nightmare came back." The surprise echoed into Jaelre's face showed that Tarn'se response was not what he had expected. Tarn'se continued, "But this time is was more vivid. It was as if it were all real; there was no haze or numbness.

"If that isn't bad enough, I started thinking, 'what if the vampire had gone for a straggler in the back of the group?' I was an idiot for letting us drop our guard for even a second! We are in the territory of creatures that can appear out of thin air and kill without a sound! I can only thank the gods the vampire was stupid enough to attack the leader and not one of the rear guard!"

Jaelre waited for Tarn'se's rant to end and added, "I recognized it."

Tarn'se's head snapped up, "What do you mean?"

Jaelre held out his hand where a small golden circlet on a thin chain rested, "It was wearing this around its neck. I believe it was one of the two Hesjet fought. I saw him hit it with a throwing knife and it fell down a stairwell but never came back up. I had assumed it was dead."

Tarn'se cursed, "How many more have we thought we killed but didn't?"

"I think this may have been the only one. Hesjet and his group was the last group to fight vampires and I saw all the others turn to ash."

"Gods willing we didn't miss any others; the less the vampires know about our presence, the better. We don't need _them_ hunting _us_."

Jaelre nodded, then spoke hesitantly, "So, the nightmare was worse when you were bitten?"

Tarn'se nodded, "The worst it's been. I don't know how I managed to snap myself out of it and get the vampire off me, but I can't allow this to continue to happen. The vampire bite brought the nightmare on, but I can't risk allowing it to pop up at any time." Tarn'se glanced at his arm and smiled bitterly, "It's time for a hunters' reunion."

_I hope you guys liked it! Please review! _


	6. Tense Meetings

_I liiiiiiiive! Yes, I'm not dead… yet. The way my classes are going, I should be dead soon. (Note to Self: NEVER take 4 Advanced Placement classes… EVER!) I've been applying to colleges too, so once that's done and over with, hopefully soon, I'll be around more. As a reward for your unending patience, here's a REALLY long chapter. Thanks to **Master of the Boot, wolf guardian of light, theoldman, Lord CrutchCricket**, and **StormRaven333** for the reviews; and to all those lurkers, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! So, anyway, enjoy and please review!_

**Chapter 6: Tense Meetings**

Ravyn sighed as she watched the group of vampire hunters race out of the gates that surrounded the Ash Guild house. They were going to a stake out. A particularly nasty group of vampires was wreaking havoc upon one of the lower class parts of the city and were drawing the notice of the common public. Normally, they would have been eliminated by other vampires commanded by the Master of the territory; however, without a Master to keep them in line, it was up to the local Guilds to take care of the problem.

Turing away from the window, Ravyn lazily sifted through a stack of papers, her mind on other matters.

She had no clue who she was going to bring to the Duel with her. There were plenty of hunters that she felt confident about, but none in which she would trust with such a dire task. One wrong move and the Guilds would lose the support of the Moonsong pack, the largest pack in the area, and that would only make the coming battle all the more difficult.

A large yawn gripped her as she sagged down onto her desk. She had had so little sleep in the past few days that her body was now being affected by it; not a good thing for a vampire hunter. Her weariness was the main reason she had turned down the chance to go on the stake out.

Resting her head in her arms, she slumped into a more comfortable position; a five minute nap wouldn't hurt.

* * *

The human sun had fallen once again and the yautja were preparing for the hunt.

The prospect of meeting the human hunters again, and perhaps finally getting rid of the wretched nightmares, had lightened Tarn'se's dark mood and his laidback attitude was being reflected by the other hunters.

Once again, to the hunters' dismay, Tarn'se ordered the group to hunt in teams of three. They would not longer be watched by their leaders like younglings, but they were still too inexperienced with fighting vampires that Tarn'se wasn't comfortable with them hunting solo… yet. The only ones hunting alone would be Far'hnde, Jaelre, and Tarn'se himself.

As they raced off towards the city, Tarn'se struggled to think of where he could look to find the human hunters dwelling. He knew where the old one had been, though it was only a pile of ash and rubble now.

He spent hours wandering through the decrepit parts of the city, finding no sign of the vampire hunters. He was about to give up when he finally spotted a hunter on the outskirts of the area where he and his clan had fought the vampires the previous night.

The human, a male, moved with grace surprising for a human, marking him a hunter. Also, upon closer inspection with his mask, Tarn'se saw the human had many daggers and a sword stashed about his person. He had noticed that most humans rarely use such weapons, whereas the human hunters favored them.

Tarn'se followed him for a few minutes until the human slowed his pace and moved out into the dim light of the streetlamps, plopping himself down on a worn, old bench next to a broken-down payphone.

With silent moves Tarn'se leapt from the rooftops and landed easily on the ground. He move out into the open making his footsteps slightly louder than normal; the last thing he needed to do was startle the hunter and get shot with one of their projectiles.

Turning off his cloak Tarn'se finally stepped into view of the hunter. From the expression the hunter wore, it was obvious he wasn't expecting Tarn'se to step out of the shadows. The human quickly snapped out of his shock then leapt to his feet, pulling out on of the small projectile weapons, a crossbow Tarn'se believed it was called, and barked, "Don't move or you're dead."

Tilting his head curiously, Tarn'se froze. He didn't necessarily expect a warm welcome, but he certainly didn't think he would be threatened. Perhaps this was a different clan from the one Ravyn was in and they didn't know of his existence.

The human continued, his voice steady, but the beating of his heart giving away his fear, "We have you surrounded; state who… or _what_ you are and your purpose."

Glanced around him Tarn'se's eyes widened to see at least a dozen human heat signatures blare to life both in the dark alleyways and on the tops of the buildings around him. But vampires saw in the light spectrum… why would the human hunters feel the need to hide their body heat?

Choosing to keep that question for a less threatening time Tarn'se spoke slowly and clearly to allow his mask's translator to work more effectively, "I am the Warrior Tarn'se of the Yautja. I am here to locate and speak with the human hunter known as Ravyn."

There was a loud yell from above and numerous hisses and snaps from some of the vampire hunters. One of the bright forms raced to the edge of the building, slid quickly down a ladder and raced over to him. As he approached, Tarn'se tried to figure out which human the heat signature belonged to.

"Hey, Tarn'se, Wazz-up?!"

Tarn'se blinked then gave a quiet rattle of surprise. It was the young hunter Nathan. He had grown a good deal in short time since he had last seen the enthusiastic human. Nathan was bouncing on the balls of his feet, seemingly consumed with excitement; gods, he reminded Tarn'se so much of the hyperactive youngbloods when they first began their training.

"Greetings Nathan." Tarn'se held back a laugh as Nathan's smile grew bigger.

The anonymous hunter looked from Nathan to Tarn'se, "It's the same one from last time?"

"Yeah, he's the one that helped Ravyn kill Nacht."

The hunter's fame visibly relaxed and he gave Tarn'se a nod, "Thank God; I was _not_ looking forward to fighting you." Turning to Nathan the hunter gestured, "You'd better get back in the shadows; we don't need our quarry to come waltzing down the street and catch sight of you two."

Nathan nodded to the hunter then looked at Tarn'se and gestured upwards, "Let's get on the roof and out of sight," Nathan moved to the small ladder climbing quickly. He glanced down at Tarn'se who seemed to not have moved, "What are you…?" he began to call down.

Tarn'se suddenly leapt upward and kicked off the wall of the building and then pushed off the wall of the neighboring building, gracefully launching himself silently, wall-to-wall, up the building and onto the rooftop. Turning around, Tarn'se saw Nathan's jaw drop and he heard the hunter below give a low whistle.

Tarn'se quickly counted five human hunters on the roof of this particular building watching him carefully, their faces calm but their heartbeats betraying their tension. There were five on the building across the roadway and four pairs on the buildings adjacent to the ones that sported the larger groups of hunters.

Nathan whispered quickly, "We have to stay here for a few minutes; a group of vamps should be showing up soon. They've been torturing humans for the past three months and we finally found them." The hunters hissed at Nathan who quickly shut up. Tarn'se soon found that the humans' warning was an appropriate one when there was a loud scream that echoed out from the building across the street.

The door of the building burst open and a group of five vampires literally danced out of the building. Three were restraining a hysterical female while two tossed about the corpse of a dead male.

They sang something, though Tarn'se wasn't close enough for his mask to translate. Suddenly, one of the vampires ripped the head clean off the corpse and tossed it at the female who screeched even louder.

Another scream was added to the human female's as the vampire that threw the head hit the ground and began to dissolve, its hands scratching uselessly at the bolt that protruded from its chest.

The other vampires turned and hissed, baring their fangs at the vampire hunter on the ground, who quickly reloaded his crossbow. While one vampire kept a hold of the female, the three others teleported and reappeared around the hunter. The hunter managed to get off a shot at one of them. The bolt buried itself in the vampire's shoulder; it would had been a minor wound had the bolt not been doused in "Sunlight Serum". The vampire ripped out the dart and ran away screaming as if it could outrun the poison that was slowly turning its body to ash starting at its shoulder.

Meanwhile, the two vampires had gotten a hold of the hunter and looked ready to tear him limb from limb when the four of the five vampire hunters repelled off the building and began to launch numerous sunlight Serum coated bolts at the two vampires, dangling from their harnesses against the wall of the building. Two bolts hit each vampire, freeing the hunter. They collapsed withering to the pavement. Across the roadway, the final vampire gave a shriek of agony as it received three bolts in the back.

Tarn'se gave a small purred of pride at the humans' efficiency of killing the vampires. They knew exactly what they were doing. The hunter on the ground was protected by a dozen other hunters. Those hunters dangling from the building were out of reach from the vampires, being the vampires would have to jump or teleport up to the hunters and, unless they could fly, they would fall back to the ground. With Nathan and the other vampire hunter on the roof the hunters would not have to worry about the vampires' teleporting to the roof to cut the harness lines. And the eight hunters on the outskirts would prevent any escapes; a perfectly executed execution.

Once the final vampire was dead, permanently, all the hunters except the eight perimeter guards and Nathan darted down to the ground to check on their partner and the human woman who had collapsed upon the ground.

Nathan sighed and smiled, "I love it when things go right. They'll head inside that building next," he gestured to the one that the vampires had come from, "There a nest of about seven or eight more."

Tarn'se gave a small nod then gestured to the human female across the street, "And what of the female?"

Nathan shrugged, "It all depends. If she has family, Ivy will block out her memory a bit so she'll be able to reenter normal, ignorant, human society. If the vampires killed them all, she could be inducted into the guild. Whether she'd be a hunter or a medic or a simple secretary, who knows…" Nathan paused, "So, you need to talk to Ravyn, eh?"

"Yes. It is of great importance that I see her."

Nathan grinned, "She'll be happy to see you. Ever since she was made co-head of the guild she's gotten a bit of crap from a couple of hunters for getting the position because she's Jonathan's student. She's been threatening to call you and have you skin them if they don't shut up; damn, I want to see their faces when you walk in the guild house. They'll all shit themselves!" Nathan cackled and Tarn'se allowed himself a laugh; the thought of Ravyn using his reputation to keep other hunters in line was an amusing thought.

"Anyway, the raid shouldn't take too long. Give us an hour at most and we'll be back at the guild house…"

* * *

"Hey Ravyn! Guess who's here!" Nathan barged into Ravyn's office.

Ravyn lurched out of her nap with a yelp, pushing herself back abruptly. Unfortunately, the push was strong enough to send her chair tipping backwards spilling Ravyn into a heap on the floor.

"Opps…" Nathan murmured glancing back at Tarn'se who was making that strange clicking noise that sufficed for laughter.

"God dammit, Nathan!" Ravyn snapped, pushing herself off of the floor, "Haven't you ever heard of the concept of knocking! I'm pretty frickin' sure it isn't a foreign idea, even to you!" Ravyn glared at Nathan then turned on the person behind him. Catching sight of Tarn'se, Ravyn jumped back again in surprise and tripped over her upended chair, falling back to land flat on her ass.

"Son of a…" Ravyn cursed and turned on Nathan who was now clutching her desk to keep himself standing as he howled with laughter. Tarn'se's clicking laughter had risen in both frequency and pitch.

"Oh, shut up!" Ravyn growled, jumping up, picking up her chair, and slamming it back upright for good measure. However, she slammed the frail wooden chair a bit too hard; a loud crack signaled one of the legs snapping off. Nathan collapsed with tears running down his face and even Tarn'se had to lean against the doorway.

Ravyn simply kicked the chair aside and gave Nathan's prone form a sharp jab with the toe of her boot, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Nathan wiped his eyes and stood up, "Um, I just came to say that the raid went well and we got all the vamps," coughing and taking deep breaths Nathan continued, "and we met up with our old friend here. He wanted to see you so," Nathan shrugged, grinned then damn near skipped out of Ravyn's room, slamming the door behind him.

Once the door clicked shut, Ravyn waited for the footsteps to fade, then approached Tarn'se and rested her hand on top of his shoulder and gave a small shake. Tarn'se repeated the gesture and asked, "You remembered that?"

The mechanical voice of his mask was unable to transfer the surprise in his tone though Ravyn could tell the emotion by the question, "Yeah… when you deal with so many different… creatures, remembering the niceties becomes a bit of an automatic skill." Ravyn moved over to computer desk and pulled out another chair. As she sat she gestured to the bed, the only seat that could possibly support the huge alien's weight. Though he seemed hesitant at first Tarn'se sat down on the corner of the bed.

A thick silence hung in the air; Ravyn, who despised awkward silences, tapped her foot, "So… on another hunt?"

Tarn'se gave a small nod, "Yes. I am leading a vampire hunt with a select group of my clan. So far, we've been rather successful."

Ravyn gave a small nod, "Vampires, eh? And I guess the occasional human is to add some variety to the mix, hmm?" Though she was trying to hide it, Ravyn was silently pissed off at Tarn'se or, at least, his group.

More details had come out from the Marks case. Strange, decorative cuts were found on Mark's body. The insides of her arms sported gruesome, yet intricate designs, carved deep into her flesh, but not deep enough to allow her to bleed to death. The killer had started to work on her legs when the cops showed up so it simply took her head and rushed off.

Ravyn was not one to criticize a person for their cultural beliefs. She wasn't a big fan of the whole skinning idea, but if that's the way the Yautja's culture worked, she wouldn't argue with it. However, these acts of sadism were a bit much. Though she didn't think Tarn'se committing the acts, any leader that condoned such things earned a place on Ravyn's shit-list.

Tarn'se's head tilted to the side, "Humans?"

"Yeah, humans… you know… the species I belong to?"

"I _know_ what a human is." The only sign that Tarn'se was getting annoyed was the sudden tensing of his body.

"Yeah, and you sure are coming up with some new games to play with them too."

Tarn'se's head tilted, "Games?"

"Please don't play stupid, it doesn't work for you."

"What are you talking about?"

Ravyn ignored the question as her voice began to get louder, the stresses of recent events getting the better of her, fueling her anger, "The jumping on the car thing is pretty impressive…"

"What…" Tarn'se's stance was getting tenser by the second.

"I thought you guys were more into stealth, but hey, who am I to argue the importance of secrecy?"

Tarn'se's voice became a growl, "Ravyn…"

"But, come on… the whole skinning thing was rather sick in itself, but did you have keep 'em fresh and alive in order to get a kick out of it?"

Tarn'se leapt to his feet and gave a loud, but quick roar. It proved effective in that Ravyn stopped talking, but now she was out of her chair in a defensive pose, pointing a dagger at him.

"You insult my honor to accuse me of doing such things!" Tarn'se snarled, "Many would lose their heads for such a comment!"

"If you want it, come get it," Ravyn challenged, her muscles tensing to move quickly.

Tarn'se pulled back and allowed a small chirp of shock and sorrow out, "Why would you think I wished to hurt you? You are part of my clan as far as I believe; I would never willingly bring you harm."

He saw Ravyn's eyes widen, as she lowered her dagger, "Really?"

Tarn'se gave a slow, solemn dip of his head, almost a bow, "You've saved my life more than once; first by telling me of the vampires and second by giving me the cure for the vampire virus. I trust you with my life, which I something I do for very few others."

Ravyn dropped into her chair, the dagger falling to the floor in the process, as she buried her face in her hands and gave a soft moan. When he face reemerged streams of warm liquid were running from her eyes though she wiped them away quickly. Coughing a bit, she gestured weakly for Tarn'se to sit down again, "Sorry… it's been a _really _long week."

Once she recovered Ravyn sighed, "I didn't mean to insult you. So much crap has been going on lately I knew I'd eventually burst; you just happened to be the lucky target."

Tarn'se accepted the apology quickly, "I see you have problems more pressing than my own…"

"Yeah, we've got problems alright. Another Master, Sebastian, is coming to town and I'm not looking forward to his arrival," Ravyn grabbed a tissue and wiped at her face and blew her nose.

"A Master? Like Nacht and Eve?"

She nodded, "Yep. He's more like Nacht than Eve though. He's not as sadistic as Nacht, but his influence is much broader. He lets his underlings run wild where Nacht at least kept them on a leash, abet a long one. He's also bringing along a pack of lycans so that's not going to make the party any better. This is the second time being unable to locate Eve has caused me this much hassle. I should put a freakin' bell on her."

"Eve is missing?"

"You could say that. No one knows where she is; I don't think the _vampires_ even know where she is. It's chaos without her to control the regular vamps. It'll just be organized chaos if Sebastian gets control, and that'll be worse."

"I've seen her."

Ravyn stared at him, "You have? When?"

"About two thirds of a year upon our world ago, so almost one of your years."

Ravyn snorted, "And I'm sure she told you where she was going…"

"She did… some place… U'rop, I believe she said."

Ravyn sat up so quickly she nearly threw herself off her chair, "Europe?"

"Yes. She said she was going on a boot-ryd, whatever that is."

Ravyn's mind spun; they had contacted overseas agents but they hadn't expected Eve to show up there. If she left on a boat, it was very likely she was going on some sort of vacation. And Eve was one who focused a bit more on the present that was happening in front of her than around her. Ravyn grinned, "You may have just pulled our asses out of the fire… I'll have to tell Ivy to get in contact with more overseas guilds…"

"Ravyn… why did you accuse me of skinning a human alive?"

His question caught her off guard and Ravyn answered quickly, "Because you did." At Tarn'se's growl, Ravyn elaborated, "Well, _one_ of you guys did it."

"Why do you believe it was one of my fellows?"

Ravyn chuckled, "Well, in all my years of hearing the atrocities humans perform on one another, you guys are the only one's I've heard of that do the skinning thing, at least in modern times. Plus, most humans would be hard pressed to jump on a car and make it crash, chase down and kill four armed humans, skin three and decapitate all in under a half hour. And the foreign, unrecognizable, paralyzing drug sealed the deal."

Tarn'se voice grew louder as if he was angry, "When did this occur?"

Ravyn paused then turned and flipped through papers on her desk, "About a week ago."

Tarn'se's body relaxed, "It wasn't one of us."

"How can you be sure?"

"We've been here only two of your days."

Ravyn blinked, "But it _had_ to be one of you guys. No other being, vampire or otherwise could have gotten that drug. There were only traces of it, but our sources tell us that the forensics can't match _any_ of the chemicals in the drug. They don't exist on this planet."

Tarn'se spoke softly, "There is not supposed to be any other hunting groups in this area… nor would any of my kind perform such acts. It is dishonorable. They would be killed for even considering it."

Ravyn bit her lip and spoke gently, knowing how deep Tarn'se beliefs in "honor" ran, "Well, could it be one of your kind that… you know… doesn't care about honor?"

Tarn'se's voice was a deep menacing growl, "You mean a Bad Blood."

Ravyn shrugged, "Is that you term for a criminal?"

"Yes."

"Then, yeah, that's what I mean."

Tarn'se rattled, "It is highly unlikely, but still possible. If you could get me any remnants of the nerve disruptor I would be able to test it to see if it was of our making."

Ravyn bit her lip, "That'd be tough but I'll see what we can do," pausing for a moment, she gave Tarn'se a slightly suspicious look, "However, I'm guessing you didn't come here just because you missed my pretty face…"

"No…" Tarn'se thought about the best way to phrase his concerns over his nightmares and visions. After a bit of consideration, he asked, "Have you had any… aftereffects of nearly being Turned into a vampire?"

Ravyn sighed and looked from the broken chair to Tarn'se, "You could say that. I have to be the strongest hunter in the Guild and that's not my ego talking. I can jump higher and farther that I ever have before, my speed and endurance has excelled, and Ivy claims that she can't get into my head as easily as she could before," Ravyn blinked, "What about you?"

"I have not noticed many physical side effects, though I have yet to really test my full strength against any creature… but I have been getting nightmares."

Ravyn gave a small snort of laughter, "Nightmares? That's all."

Tarn'se growled, "Terrible nightmares… I dream I am a vampire, slaughtering my clan. Nacht is at my side in these dreams, aiding and encouraging me. Worst of all, in the dream at least, I'm enjoying myself.

"And they are getting worse. Each dream becomes more real, more tangible… when I led my group on a hunt I was bitten by a vampire and the dream came back as terrible as it has ever been. It's getting dangerous. I cannot risk fading into the nightmare every time I go hunting!"

Ravyn gave a small nod, "I get your point. You conk out into the dream at the wrong moment and you're dead," she sighed, "I personally haven't had any dreams, besides the usual nightmares I get anyway. When Ivy gets back from her hunt I'll see if she can put a barrier in you mind."

Tarn'se stiffened, "A barrier?"

"Yeah, it'd be quite simple telepathy for her. She's done if for many people who had reoccurring nightmares," she gave a harsh laugh, "They come with the job. What she does is connect your thought patterns or whatever they are and she sort of goes in your head and, this'll sound worse that it is, but she'll dig around for certain images and visions and she'll sort of put a kink in them to prevent involuntary accessing. So you can still recall everything you know about the subject, but your subconscious psyche will hit a barrier if it tries to access the idea involuntarily, for example, a dream."

"So, she will go into my mind?"

Ravyn gave a hopeless shrug, "She has to. Unfortunately because you are not human she might have a bit of trouble locating the nightmares so she'll probably put you to sleep first and see if the nightmare occurs on its own. Then she can lock it away for good."

Tarn'se really didn't like the idea of letting _any_ being into his mind. Though they had only encountered such creatures rarely, the yautja tread with caution around any being that could access other creatures' thoughts let alone warp and alter them. However, if these dreams persisted, he may not be alive to worry about anything, "Have you ever had any barriers made in your mind?"

"Actually, yes," Ravyn steepled her hands, "I actually have no memory of my life before I came to the guild when I was fifteen… I know vampires killed my family and destroyed my home but other than that I remember nothing."

"Why do you not remember anything?"

"Apparently I was getting panic attacks, I wouldn't eat or sleep, and in general I was a wreck. A hunter from the Ice guild put up the barrier to protect me from hurting myself; she's dead now I think. When I was eighteen Jonathan told me about what had been done and Ivy offered to remove the barrier but I decided those sorts of things are better left buried."

"Is it painful?" Tarn'se asked.

Ravyn laughed, "Hell no. They did it to me when I was sleeping, but I've talked to others who've had such a procedure done and they said at worst they get a headache afterward. One hunter told me it was like seeing flashes of your memory flicker until the one the telepath is looking for flashes, then it's over."

There was a fast knock on the door then Nathan burst into the room, "Ravyn, you should go downstairs right now, there's…"

"Nathan, I'm a bit busy right now," Ravyn gestured to Tarn'se.

"But…"

"I'm sure they can wait."

"But you…"

"Tell them to come back later…"

"But they're three vampires!"

"I don't care who… what did you say!?" Ravyn jumped to her feet, her dagger in her hand again.

"There are three vampires downstairs who are _requesting the presence of the Guild leader_."

"They haven't attacked?"

"No, they actually have been pretty polite so far…" Nathan grinned, "Should I tell them to _come back later_?"

"Don't be a smart ass," Ravyn turned to Tarn'se, "I wouldn't mind having you at my back down there."

"It is my honor," Tarn'se rapped his chest and stood, tapping a few buttons on the device around his left arm, light shifted and he cloaked.

Ravyn took a deep breath, "Let's see what the bloodsuckers want now."

_I hope you all liked it! Please review and, just a random note, I saw the movie 30 days of night and thought it was pretty sweet. Anyone else see it?_


	7. Twisted

_Wow… I am a terrible person. I was just buzzing around the site and I suddenly realized that I hadn't updated in months._

_Give me a break though. My classes are driving me INSANE! Just a warning, but I have no clue when I can update after this. I have a huge Skeleton Anatomy test with 400 identifications on it (such as the occipital condyles that articulate with the atlas, which is also known as C-1, the first cervical vertebrae… yeah… and there is 400 of those freakin' things! Arrgh!), along with numerous AP Statistics and AP Economics tests coming up. I'm also trying to decide which college I want to go to (I've got it down to 2). Plus, every weekend for the past month or so, I've had to get up at five to go to work for my 6-2 shift on both Saturday and Sunday. Sooooo tired…_

_The good news… hmm, not much. I'm getting more into my "Culture Shock" story, though the plot is still short and sucky. I've got 3 good scenes in that thing and some great characters, but the plot overall is terrible. Grrr… last time that happened it was to my "Orphans" story and that thing's in the trash at the moment. I'm wondering if I should post up my Ambassadors story along with this one. Alternating between the two will keep me from getting bored with either story but the updates will be alternating, meaning a longer wait for the fans of only one of them, because I'm anal like that. Also, I've got some ideas bumping around in my head for some original stories. One of them was going to be a Predator story but as I was fleshing out the plot, I introduced a few alien races that I got really into and the Predators were just a side note so I edited them out, that'll give you an idea of how scarce they were in the story, and it turned out pretty cool._

_Wow… that's a lot of babble I put you guys through. I sound really whiney… and I don't like whiney people. Great… self-loathing time. Just kidding. :) Anyways, as always, thanks to: __**Master of the Boot, wolf guardian of light, Lord CrutchCricket, StormRaven333, Raptor Chick, Dark vengeance, Jake, starspawn07, LunaticPandora1, **__and__** Dark Ravens**__ for all of the reviews. Ten reviews! Do it again please! Lol. You guys make me feel so guilty that I must continue writing. Hope you enjoy this!_

**Chapter 7: Twisted**

The hunters had taken the vampire entourage into one of the small dens that the Ash Guild house had. It was a small but warm room, with deep burgundy carpeting, lots of soft lighting, and many overstuffed couches and armchairs placed in positions by bookshelves, before the fireplace, and surrounding low tables. The presence of the three pale vampires sucked the warmth right out of the room.

Ravyn had a dagger on her hip, but kept it sheathed so to not offend the vampires. If they came here in peace, she didn't feel like sparking a battle in the middle of the guild house.

It was not a surprise that the vampires knew where the hunters' guild houses were. What kept the houses safe was the fact very few Masters, however powerful, would attack a guild house without complete consideration of the consequences. The burning of the original Ash House was a very bold and risky move by the Master Nacht. Hunters had the uncanny ability to join forces in an instant to retaliate and rarely could any vampire escape the wrath of three or four full guild houses pitted against them. Nacht betrayed her relation to her bizarre sister Eve in the fact that she craved chaos and excitement and could be rather reckless in obtaining it.

The three vampires sat in three seats turned so their backs faced the fireplace. There were two males, one female. The female sat in the middle, showing her higher status over the other two. She wore a sleeveless, vest-like black shirt with tailored black pants and high heeled boots. The only jewelry she wore was a large gold ring with a huge red stone, either ruby or garnet, set in the oval center. Her face and body was full of soft angles which minimized the harsh, stone-like appearance many vampires gained once they reached a certain age; her hair was a light yellow color that curled naturally and hung to a little past her shoulders.

The male to her left looked like a juggernaut recently discharged from the army, with his bulky, built body and square-face. His hair had streaks of gray in it, a rarity being vampires were usually Turned before their bodies began their natural decline in health and appearance. A large, crescent scar extended from his right temple to the end of his jaw. He wore an expensive looking grey suit that looked almost a tad too small for him.

The male to the left was the smallest of the group. Unlike his two companions, he dressed in baggy jeans and a tight, plain black t-shirt. He was slightly gangly with a thin, oval face. His bright ginger hair struck Ravyn as something familiar though…

"You…" Ravyn pointed at the ginger haired vampire, "I've met you before…"

The vampire's companions turn to stare at him suspiciously, but his head rocked back and he laughed, a surprisingly good-humored sound, "Yes, and I remember you. Is the merciful hunter with the blue hair still alive? I wouldn't mind seeing her again…"

Ravyn's memory snapped into place; this was the vampire, Marcus, who Ivy had spared at the raid at one of the vampire clubs so long ago. He had been of great assistance when they were trying to find Eve the first time they needed her… "Before we even talk, I would be _really_ pleased if one of you could tell me where the Master vampire Eve is…"

"We wouldn't be here if we knew," the bulky vampire growled, his voice surprisingly soft for his stature. The female glared at him sharply and he flinched.

Ravyn watched the exchange with interest, "So, even the vampires have no clue where Eve is. Interesting…" Ravyn lowered herself into a chair across from the vampires. She knew there were two hunters flanking her chair along with two more guarding the door. Ravyn saw a shimmer near the corner of the room, signaling Tarn'se's presence, though in the shadows he was damn near invisible; it wasn't the first time Ravyn felt a pang of longing for one of those fancy cloaking devises.

"Now," Ravyn crossed one leg over the other and asked bluntly, "Who are you and what do you want?"

The female vampire stood up and rested a hand on her chest, "I am Jazel, the first fledgling of the vampire Nacht." She gestured to the bulky vampire, "This is Cane, my third and oldest living fledgling, head of Nacht's security affairs." And with a slightly flippant gesture she acknowledged Marcus, "And you've already met Marcus, Eve's first fledgling and former head of Nacht's private army."

Ravyn held up a hand and pointed to Marcus, "If you're Eve's fledgling, why were you Nacht's general?"

Marcus glanced at Jazel who gave a minute nod; he spoke with a laugh behind his voice, "Eve offered my services to Nacht as a 'gift'. Nacht of course, hated me, but even she grudgingly admitted I have some skill commanding large groups. I served Nacht, but by loyalty was always to my Eve."

Ravyn snorted, "So, you were Eve's spy?"

Marcus smiled cheerfully, "Yes ma'am, which was why I didn't give a damn about giving up Nacht's whereabouts…" Though Marcus looked delighted with himself, Jazel's eyes were orbs of pure, black rage though she managed to contain it; Cane simply kept his head down.

A loud whistle brought the threesome's attention back to Ravyn, "Hey, I really don't care about your politics. What do you want?"

Jazel began slowly, pulling her attention away from Marcus, "The destruction of our Master, Nacht, and absence of her heir, Eve, has caused a great deal of chaos in our ranks as you can imagine. I am one of the leading contenders for the title of Master here so I am well aware of the goings on in our community. However, there is a threat to my Mastership…"

"You mean the fact the Master Sebastian is on his way?"

Jazel gave a small smile, "So you hunters are not so ignorant...yes, that fact, as you so easily put it, threatens us all."

"You're vampires; I think Sebastian will go easy on you."

"Not so. Sebastian is surrounded by his own fledglings and those abandoned ones he has taken in. Some do have talent, but he makes up for quality with quantity."

Marcus piped up, "In other words, we may have a couple hundred skilled vampires, but we can't beat an army of thousands like he's got, not including the lycans."

Jazel nodded, "Indeed. There are enough weak vampires here who would leap at the chance to join Marcus's ranks, but there are many that still hold loyalty to their Sires as long as there is a decent chance of survival.

"Once Sebastian comes here he will take all those he deems weak enough for him to control, as for the rest," Jazel hissed, "We will be ashes on the wind when he's through with us."

Ravyn's kept a mask of indifference on her face, "I pity your plight, but why should your destruction concern me and my fellows?"

Jazel leaned close and hissed, "We know you numbers are not much greater than ours. We've seen the areas that Sebastian is most strong in; you hunters only attack the outskirts of them, if that. This place is a rather well kept home for not only vampires and hunters, but the humans as well. We control our fledglings to keep them from massacring humans, but Sebastian does no such thing. He thinks humans should be slaves; though I agree, I don't feel we have the power or resources to take on the whole of humanity just yet and I'd rather wait in the shadows for a few centuries and properly plan our takeover than become extinct due to rash actions."

Ravyn's eyes narrowed, "What exactly are you proposing?"

Jazel puffed herself up, "We are offering… a truce; temporary, of course, but a truce nonetheless. If you hunters ally with us, we may just have a chance at defeating Sebastian and beating him back. Though he is powerful, he's a true coward. If we strike enough heavy blows, he will return to the shores of the Pacific and he will not return. We've also sent emissaries to the local lycan packs. With all our forces combined we have a chance of at least escaping total annihilation."

Ravyn sighed, "I will consider your proposal and pass it on to the Head of the Ash House; I cannot guarantee anything however."

Jazel rose, "That is all we hoped for. Hunter Ravyn," she gave a brisk nod and stood walking quickly to the door with Cane flowing hot on her heels. Marcus stopped and handed Ravyn a black business card with a phone number written in red on it, "Call us when you make a decision… and," he lowered his head and whispered in Ravyn's ear, "Tell the blue beauty I said hello." He pulled away with a grin and left the room as quickly as his fellows.

Ravyn gestured for the guards to leave her and spoke to Tarn'se, "You can uncloak now." When he reappeared Ravyn laughed hollowly, "Now you know how much trouble we are really in."

Tarn'se moved in front of the chairs the vampires had sat in but remained standing, "Will you ally yourselves with them?"

"I don't want to, but we might have to," she cursed, "It may seem monumentally stupid to you, but you just have no clue how bad Sebastian really is. He couldn't care less what his underlings do as long as they obey him when he wants to. This city," Ravyn waved a hand in the air, "is very healthy. It's relatively safe and the vampires, despite how much I loath them, follow their codes to a T. They feed and kill humans. We hunt them and thin their herd. Humans continue their happy, short lives, ignorant of what's in front of them. It sounds crazy, but it _works_.

"If people suddenly found out vampires existed, they'd go nuts. Riots would break out, innocent people would die, and we'd probably get destroyed in the process. The world can't handle a revelation that big just yet, but you've got these megalomaniacs like Sebastian who are, pardon the pun, dying to start a war," Ravyn sighed, "If we don't stop him here, it won't be long before he takes on all the other Masters on this continent. And if he succeeds in that, people _will_ begin to notice and it'll only take a little time before the whole thing blows up."

"He would be able to take down all the other Master vampires on this continent?" Tarn'se asked.

Ravyn nodded, "The other Masters are strong, but not that strong; and even facing complete annihilation they would still be too proud to become allies. The fact these vampire want to be our allies is a damn miracle. I guess they realize their weakness and they're all hoping for a chance to claim Mastership if this blows over."

Tarn'se's head tilted, "Why did this vampire not attack before?"

"I much as I hated her, Nacht was good at keeping other vampires away; she was Sebastian's only true rival here, except maybe Eve. The thing about Nacht was that she was one scary bitch. I heard that Sebastian threatened her once and she literally appeared in his penthouse or mansion, or wherever the hell he lives, stuffed him in a crate and set the crate on the curb outside for a day. He damn near got fried, but he somehow managed to stay out of the sunlight; he never even considered coming near here since. That's why it's so important we find Eve. Even if she isn't powerful enough to stop him, she _is_ Nacht's twin. It'll rattle Sebastian a bit and maybe make him unstable enough for us to manage to kick his ass back to the west coast. Jazel was right about one thing: if we beat him, we beat him for good."

"What are these…Li'cans?" Tarn'se tilted his head and seemed to struggle to pronounce the word right.

"You mean lycans? Well, that's short for lycanthropes, which are werewolves, shape shifters."

"Shape shifters? Where these those creatures you said you were going to show me the last time we met?"

Ravyn grinned, "Yeah. We don't normally deal with them, but in the present situation we have to… damn, that reminds me… the half waxed moon is in two days…" Ravyn froze then slowly turned to Tarn'se, "Tell me… how long are you staying here for?"

"Another ten of your days," Tarn'se answered carefully, unsure about Ravyn's tone.

Ravyn leaned forward, "Do you mind doing me a _really _big favor?"

"What is the favor?"

"Well, you see, in lycan politics, when two packs, or groups, are about to ally, sometimes one pack is unsure of the other pack's… capabilities. So, their two leaders, the Alpha male and Alpha female challenge the other two Alphas to a 'Duel'. In the Duel the two pair of Alphas fights until one pack wins. The local lycan pack we're trying to make a truce with has challenged the Hunter Guilds to a Duel. Now, being the Ash Guild is the ring leader, our leaders are the ones that fight. Unfortunately, Jonathan, you met him, can't fight that night. He's meeting with all the other Guilds and he can't excuse himself from something like that, so that leaves me to choose a partner. You want the job?"

Tarn'se considered the notion. His clan would be able to hunt vampires on their own now and as long as he brought back a few trophies he would look as successful as any other hunter. The battle against these… shape shifters sounded interesting to say the least and he was always one that wanted a little more excitement. Plus, he would tell Jaelre what he was doing, "How does one win the Duel?"

"One of the Alphas from either team must be pinned or knocked unconscious. They won't hit to kill though there is the threat of an accident 'cause they certainly won't be pulling the punches," Ravyn smiled up at him, "Pretty please?"

Tarn'se laughed at what he thought was a begging face and said, "It would be an honor to accompany you."

Ravyn pumped her fist then rubbed her hands together cackling, "I can't wait to see their faces when we show up! They'll freak!"

Tarn'se smiled at Ravyn's antics, then asked, "What exactly are shape shifters?"

Ravyn gave him a blank look then hit herself in the head with the heel of her hand, "Duh, you aren't a native of this planet. Well, shape shifters are incredibly similar to humans except for the fact they literally change their form into that of another species. This ability, like vampires, is given thorough a virus which is passed through bloodily fluids coming in contact with an uninfected bloodstream, especially saliva. They can only transform into the species that corresponds to their virus. They can interbreed with humans, but all their offspring will be shape shifters.

"They have a longer lifespan that humans, up to three times a regular lifespan, but they do die like humans. In general, they are stronger, faster, and have more acute senses. However, silver, a metal found on Earth, is poisonous to them. There's also the myth that they only change under the full moon, but that's a bunch of crap like the vampire myths that say vampires can't touch crosses. I personally think that myth started because it was a lot easier for them to hunt at night when there was a full moon out.

"Also, vampires cannot be infected with the shape shifter virus and visa versa," Ravyn grinned, "Any questions?"

"You said the virus can be passed through saliva," Ravyn nodded and Tarn'se continued, "Then, one can be contaminated with only a bite?"

Ravyn signed, "Yeah… that was a _really_ big problem a while ago, but we developed a cure. We can have Ivy check to see if our cure will work on you. We can tweak it if need be. But you shouldn't worry about that. The nice thing about being human, or yautja, is that the Alphas we fight won't bite us for fear of infecting us; that would be the ultimate insult to us."

Tarn'se nodded, "You said there is more than one form… what are the others?"

"Well, lycanthropes or lycans, the shape shifters you'll meet, transform into wolves. There are a few avus, or bird shape shifters, though they are rare. I know there are some cat ones too, both big and small, and there's a colony of serpent shifters in China somewhere. And, there's probably a bunch more we don't really know about yet. The most popular would have to be the lycans. I'm not positive, but I think, for whatever reason, their virus is the most contagious; I'll check with Ivy about that."

These shape shifters were becoming more and more interesting the more he asked about them, "Where are the lycans found? At least, in the area."

Ravyn grinned, "Thinking of a hunt?" At Tarn'se's purr, she shook her head, "I wouldn't advise it. Lycans are a pretty calm group. We leave them alone, they leave us alone. Of course, we often have to deal with the rogues that come around, hence the Storm Guild. In general though, you'll find lycans in select rural areas. There'll be humans around, but a lot of forests and free space as well. Of course, with Sebastian coming with his pack…" Ravyn's jaw dropped and jumped to her feet, "You said you're leading a group on hunt… how many?"

Tarn'se tensed, "14 others, not including myself."

Ravyn swore violently, "Are they hunting on their own?"

"In small groups… Ravyn why…"

"Call them and tell them to get back to your base or ship or wherever NOW!"

"Why!?"

Ravyn took a deep breath, "Well, Sebastian is not only famous for being a cruel, cowardly, and reckless son of a bitch, but he also has a large, particularly vicious lycan pack at his beck and call. Recently, we've been getting a large influx of random lycans and we've only recently linked them to Sebastian's pack, Bloodmark. Now, your buddies know what to do when they confront a vampire, right? What the hell you think will happen if they try to go up against a lycan. Lycans are incredibly dangerous in their animal form. Even I use a gun if I think I may meet one. Not to mention the fact that _you_ damn near Turned into a vampire, at an accelerated rate I might add. God knows what might happen to one of your buddies if they get bitten! The shape shifter virus works a _lot_ faster than the vampire one and I really don't feel like finding out what one of you guys looks like as a lycan!"

Tarn'se felt lightheaded, but he quickly tapped out a signal to Jaelre. Luckily, he had gotten the entire group holographic communication devises, considering how dangerous this hunt was going to be. In a matter of moments, Jaelre's holographic projection showed up above his wrist gauntlet, "Tarn'se, what's…"

"Jaelre, have you encountered any strange beings other than vampires?"

Jaelre paused, "No… is there something..."

"I'll explain later. Jaelre, you need to contact those members that were in your group yesterday and tell them to report to the ship immediately."

"Why…" Jaelre voice was cut off as Tarn'se's computer beeped, indicating he had an incoming transmission, "Jaelre, just do as I say!" Tarn'se cut the transmission to Jaelre and opened the incoming one. It was Far'hnde.

"Far'hnde, You need…" Tarn'se began.

"Tarn'se, we are in serious trouble," Far'hnde, though his voice was as cool as ever, there was a tremor that betrayed his stress. Anything that rattled Far'hnde couldn't be anything short of terrible. Far'hnde winced as a loud bang echoed in the background, "We have barricaded ourselves in a human building but it will not hold up for long. I was hunting when I heard shouts of our group. Three warriors were battling these mammalian creatures but they were almost as strong as the vampires. I joined the battle but there were too many of them. They managed to take out all of our plasma casters. We've lost most of our weapons. These creatures' hides are strangely thick and they seem to know to disarm us. One of the warriors was bitten by one of the creatures. Once we were in the structure he passed out and his body temperature is cooling fast. Occasionally he goes into violent fits. We need your aid." Another loud crash echoed, "Immediately!"

"I'll be there as soon as possible," Tarn'se answered.

He turned to see Ravyn staring at him, her facial expression one of fear, "God, am I too late?"

"They have four of my warriors cornered in a human building. I'll be able to find it easily and I'll call the rest of the group to aid them… one was bitten and he may be dying."

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" Ravyn bolted from the room shouting for Tarn'se to follow her; she darted down a nondescript hallway and opened a random door then darted down the steps. Tarn'se followed as quickly as he could, shifting the visions in his mask to color so he could maneuver the hallway with a little more ease.

The stairs lead to a strange room filled with chemicals and books and bottles. Tarn'se watched as Ravyn rummaged through a large box from which waves of cold were radiating. She soon emerged with a small rack of five large vials filled with a milky white substance. She stuffed the bottles into a small bag along with two brightly colored boxes which also radiated cold.

Ravyn paused and then cursed, "Damn, our hunters aren't equip for a lycan hunt… I'll have to come with you."

Tarn'se shook his head, "You cannot…"

"Don't presume you can tell me what I can and cannot do! You don't know lycans! They are as powerful as the creature they transform into but they are as cunning as humans! I know how to deal with lycans." Ravyn marched over to a table and picked up as rather large gun. She grabbed a small case that she hung over her shoulder; she dipped her hand into it and pulled out a clip and jammed it into the gun, "This is how you deal with shape shifters. Lots of fire power, lots of silver, and lots of cure serum. Let's go get your buddies."

_Like it? I hope so. Please review and make me feel REALLY guilty so I'll update again faster. Also, tell me what you guys think of me posting up the Ambassadors story too._


	8. Unpleasantries

_I know... I know… I really need to get my lazy butt in gear and start writing more. Thanks to__** StormRaven333, Master of the Boot, LunaticPandora1, Namine, wolf guardian of light, Raptor Chick, starspawn07, not aqua, **__and__** Lord CrutchCricket**__ for the reviews! Man you guys keep giving me 10 reviews a chapter! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside… in a good way, not the nauseous way. Wow, that was ADD… Right. So. I only have only 17 more days of school until I graduate so more chapters will be coming at shorter intervals. Also, I got a 107 on my anatomy skeleton test. Booyah… Alright, enough of me, here's the chapter. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 8: Unpleasantries**

"So, they're trapped in a building?" Ravyn asked as she moved through many winding corridors, Tarn'se close on her heels, "God, there has to be a billion lycans to trap a group of you guys in a building!"

"Not quite," Tarn'se answered, "They have no clue what they are and from what Far'hnde said, one of them was bitten and is reacting badly to the bite. They've heard of what can happen if a vampire attempts to change them; to fight such a dangerous opponent without any knowledge of what it is capable of is a terrible risk, not to mention a stupid move. And if their bite transmits a virus then they were smart to take refuge…" Tarn'se tried off, "Ravyn you must stop being stubborn. Leave me to fight the lycans… you told me how they can be killed…"

"But that's not enough," Ravyn snapped, "You're a beginner fighting these creatures and there's no way I'm letting you just jump into battle. _That _would be a stupid move."

"You will not be able to get there as fast as I can," Tarn'se growled, trying in vain to halt Ravyn from her rescue mission, "And I will not risk the lives of my clan to wait for you."

"You won't have to," Ravyn led him into a large, plain room that was filled with rows of human transportation vehicles. She stopped at a small, two wheeled one and pulled out a tiny silver key, "Just stay in sight and signal your turns and I'll be with you every step of the way."

Tarn'se sighed, "You don't understand… it's not that I don't want you to come, but you simply _cannot_ come with me!"

Ravyn glared at him, "What do you mean?"

"When I first met you, I was inclined to kill you once I got all the information about vampires out of you," Ravyn gave him a reproachful look and he growled, "One of our highest laws is not to be discovered by any intelligent life forms, both for their sake and ours. We live for the hunt, but over time we've come to realize the effect we have on the worlds we visit. Each time some species got a hold of our weapons or technology, they either turned it on us or, more often, against each other. Interfering with the development of any species is very dangerous, which is why we come, we hunt, and we leave in a matter of a few days and leave nothing of ours behind.

"However, I considered the dangers of your… occupation and chose to spare your life. I thought you'd be killed relatively soon so my act of mercy would prove irrelevant. However, as our paths crossed more frequently, I saw you were far removed from the normal, panicked, cowardly standard of your species. I regard you as an ally… and a clan mate.

"But my views are not reflected by the rest of my clan. If the vampires hadn't attacked the last time we met, my clan probably would have killed me, Jaelre, you, and all of your companions. Only by my insistent demands were your groups made off limits for hunting. By the Gods, only Jaelre knows I'm here talking to you. I don't want to know how Far'hnde would react if he knew I was here. If you come with me, I don't think I could stop my clan if they decide to kill you."

Ravyn stared at him for a moment, then turned the vehicle on which gave a loud roar. She shook her head, "So be it. You say I'm like a clan mate to you, and you're like a Guild hunter to me. And I don't let my hunters run into a suicide mission without backup." With that, she used a control to open the large doors of at the end of the room and put on a large, circular helmet and said, "Lead the way."

* * *

Ravyn's motorcycle purred loudly as she raced down the streets, trying to keep an eye on the road and a close watch on Tarn'se as she sped trough the busy streets. Already she had nearly missed his signals for turning, a large waving motion in one direction, and she had run at least two red lights. Normally she was a safe driver, but when a bunch of people, or aliens, were about to be torn apart by lycans, she bent the rules a bit.

Soon, Tarn'se led her into the more run down part of town, the "vampire" district as some hunters jokingly called it. Ravyn could tell they were getting close by the steady increase of Tarn'se's run. Pulling out a Berretta from inside her jacket, she fired off a shot to get his attention. Tarn'se slowed then leapt down into the empty street as Ravyn slowed her bike.

"Can you tell what street they are on?" Ravyn asked over the constant purr of her motorcycle.

"Two streets down to the left," Tarn'se spoke quickly, obviously anxious to get to his clan mates.

Ravyn nodded, "Alright, I head them off and kill as many as I can as I go by. They'll start coming after me so you can finish a few while they're distracted. Listen, what long range weapons do you have?" Tarn'se gestured to his plasma caster, shuriken, and net gun. Ravyn gave the weapons a quick look, "Keep them safe. Remember, these guys _will_ go for your projectile weapons." With that, she revved the engine and took off towards the street.

Tarn'se leapt back onto the rooftops and ran as fast as he could, damn near flying over the roofs. He had called all of the other students and told them to get back to the ship; none were close enough to Far'hnde's position to offer much aid; it would be him and Ravyn versus the lycans.

He watched as Ravyn's bike passed him and sped down the street. His mask zoomed in on nine glowing forms in the distance. They were large quadruped creatures with thick fur and probably an even thicker hide. They were all intent upon ripping apart the front of a human building.

There were loud clapping noises as Ravyn's gun fired and he saw three of the lycans hit the ground, dead. One other fell to the ground, shrieking, but still moving. The unharmed lycans turned and took up an eerie howl and started to pursue Ravyn.

Tarn'se's first shot caught the lead lycan in the back of the head. His second caught another in the shoulder, spinning it about. He pulled out two shuriken and threw them. One hit with deadly accuracy in the center of a lycan's chest as it turned to face him. The second slit the throat of the one next to it. He caught the two weapons and targeted another lycan, firing a quick shot with his plasma caster.

The lycan somehow managed to duck the shot and it snapped and growled at the others who all turned and watched him with rage filled eyes.

Then Ravyn came back. This time she stopped her bike and pulled the large gun out from behind her and aimed at the two remaining lycans that charged her, covering the ground between them in seconds. Luckily, the semi-automatic gun put out enough bullets to take the two down. They rolled and twitched in agony as the silver bullets that were poison to them began to take their toll.

Tarn'se jumped down from the roof and began to race over to the building were the lycans were attacking. He was knocked flying and found himself pinned under the lycan he had shot in the shoulder. It snapped at his throat, but its teeth kept glancing off Tarn'se's armor. He tried to throw it off himself but hesitated to put his exposed arms up in the fear he would be bitten. A loud bang echoed and the lycan's head ruptured on one side, spraying Tarn'se with hot crimson blood. He quickly shoved the corpse off of him and looked to Ravyn to see the last lycan, the one that's throat had been slit by his shuriken, hit her from behind.

* * *

Ravyn gasped as she was tackled to the ground, losing both her large gun and smaller handheld one in the process. She pulled out a large, curved knife and started stabbing blindly behind her as the lycan began to tear into her protective leather clothing.

A triangle of red dots appeared on the lycan's forehead and it looked up to see a rush of blue white light, then nothing.

Ravyn grunted as she pushed the lycan corpse off of herself. Though silver bullets were the most efficient way to kill a lycan, Tarn'se's method of blowing its head off worked just as well.

Taking her time, Ravyn walked around to each lycan corpse a put a quick bullet in each head to ensure they were dead. Some had managed to shift back into human form, but none were in any condition to be taken as a prisoner; besides, killing them like this was more of a humane mercy than a punishment. The guild's cleanup team would remove the bodies once she called them in.

Tarn'se was growling something at the building the lycans had been tearing at. There was a loud crack and the door that had been barricaded shut and deformed so much that it could no longer swing open was wrenched off its hinged revealing another yautja. Tarn'se quickly disappeared inside the building. Ravyn vaguely considered following him in, but after the speech he made about his fellows probably not liking her, Ravyn decided she was better off outside.

However, moments after Ravyn had put a bullet in the head of the last lycan, she heard Tarn'se call her name from within the building.

"So much for 'as little interaction as possible'," Ravyn muttered, running towards the building. The room seemed to be lit by a dim blue light. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom, but once they did Ravyn made out four other yautja besides Tarn'se. She recognized the tallest one due to his fancy black suit and the fact he had to be at least eight feet tall. He was slightly hunched so that his head didn't hit the ceiling and he was staring fixedly at Ravyn; she wasn't sure but she thought she heard a small growl echo out from his throat. Two others leaned against the walls, their masks turned towards her, though their forms seemed more relaxed, though they could just as likely have been simply relieved. Tarn'se was bent over the form of the fourth that was lying flat on his back. As Ravyn got closer she could hear the labored breathing of the yautja and see that his entire form was shaking.

As she knelt down with Tarn'se, she saw the blue light was coming from a bowl partially filled with a chunky electric blue mixture that steamed. The glow barely managed to diminish the bright neon green blood that was seeping from a lycan bit in the yautja's arm. Ravyn leaned closer and hissed through her teeth, "It's a bad bite; the flesh was torn up pretty bad…" she pulled the bag that was hanging from her side open and pulled out a vial of the milky white substance, "This might help, but I can't be sure…"

"What is it?" Tarn'se asked.

"Lycan bite serum; it contains antibodies that fight off the shape shifter virus along with a remarkably powerful sedative. It works about 90 of the time, but I'm not sure if it'll help him," Ravyn dug in her bag for a suitable needle.

"Why not?" Tarn'se's voice was almost a pitiful whine.

"It's made for humans; it may actually work, slow the virus, or do nothing…" Ravyn was interrupted as the yautja began to go into spasms and shriek in pain. Tarn'se struggled to hold the trashing warrior in place. The two yautja who were leaning against the wall rushed over to assist.

"I need a needle…" Ravyn muttered, digging deeper into her bag; convulsions and seizures were the signs of a rejected infection of a lycan bite. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes a human's body rejected the virus and launched an attack against the virus, often killing the human first. Glancing around, Ravyn glanced sharply at a small lit devise sitting next to the bowl of blue fluid that looked like a bizarre first aid kit. She spotted a huge syringe and snatched it, draining the vial of the shape shifter serum into the needle. Ridding the needle of air bubbles, Ravyn paused as she looked at the trashing yautja.

"Where are his veins?!" Ravyn shouted over the racket the yautja was making, "I need to put it in his bloodstream!"

The black suited yautja finally moved from his place a the door and quickly snatched the syringe from Ravyn's hand, with a powerful shove he pinned the yautja's left shoulder to the floor and inserted the needle into a vein that ran just under the armpit of the seizuring warrior. The warrior continued to spasm for a few more moments then became still.

"Is he still alive?" Ravyn whispered.

"Barely," Tarn'se muttered leaned back with a sigh.

Ravyn gave a small smile then leaned back against the wall, mirroring Tarn'se's sigh as she closed her eyes and her head slumped.

The black suited warrior growled something to Tarn'se who snapped back, his mask translating, "We are not killing her!"

Ravyn's head snapped back up and she asked, "Excuse me?"

Tarn'se began to talk more rapidly, too fast for his mask to translate while the black suited yautja answered just as curtly. The two others watched the bickering match like it was a tennis game.

After about a minute of arguing Ravyn piped up, "Hey, buddy, I had a long day, so why don't you put aside your xenophobic tendencies and give a girl a break, eh?" She wasn't sure if the yautja understood her but it apparently didn't like her tone because it faced her and hissed something that shocked Tarn'se into silence.

Ravyn nodded to the yautja, "Right back at'cha…" Deep within her head Ravyn knew she was being _way_ too cocky for the situation, something Jonathan constantly criticized her for, but she really didn't care at the moment.

The yautja took a step towards her and Ravyn was on her feet with a dagger in her hand, "Don't even try it."

The yautja shrieked at her, but Ravyn stood her ground. Now she was getting pissed, "Listen buddy, I am in no mood to play ambassador's tango with you. I've got lycan packs running wild, vampire insurrections, and a Master vampire breathing down my neck so at this point you really don't scare me, so _back off_!" Ravyn growled, her chest heaving with self righteous anger though a tiny little voice in the back of her head was muttering, "Please don't cut my head off…"

* * *

Tarn'se tensed, ready to grab Far'hnde if the Arbitrator tried to kill Ravyn. Far'hnde hissed quietly and spoke softly, "I know not whether you are incredibly brave or remarkably stupid."

Tarn'se's head jerked as he realized Far'hnde had spoken in Ravyn's tongue; the Arbitrator was just full of surprises.

Ravyn seemed equally shocked, though she recovered quickly, "Some would say I'm both, but I've learned not to let anyone intimidate me, human or otherwise."

Far'hnde grunted, "I see…" his mask turned towards Tarn'se and spoke in yautjan, "I see why you trust her, though I don't condone it. Dismiss her, and I'll let her live."

Tarn'se nodded; Ravyn making it out if the situation alive was more than he could have hoped for, "You better go… quickly."

* * *

Ravyn bristled at her sudden dismissal, "Fine…" She glanced at the bitten yautja, "He'll be dead soon without an antidote to the bite though. I guess you guys must be allergic to lycan bites… go figure."

Tarn'se blinked, "An antidote can be made?"

Ravyn shrugged, "Probably. I'd need a blood sample to be sure," Far'hnde snarled and Ravyn glowered at him, "Fine. Then his death can be on _your_ conscience." With that, Ravyn marched out of the room, feeling unappreciated and insulted.

* * *

Tarn'se frowned as he watched Ravyn leave. He was relieved that Far'hnde let her live, but he knew Dras'gul would not survive if he didn't get some sort of antidote.

There was a sharp rumble as Ravyn's transport bike sped away. That fact that she was gone reminded Tarn'se that they were still in a precarious position. If another lycan group came by, they'd be dead. Hell, he wasn't sure they'd be able to chase off a group of vampires if they showed up.

"Nix'tre, Leav'ne," Tarn'se addressed the two unwounded yautja, "set up a stretcher; we need to get Dras'gul back to the ship immediately. Far'hnde, contact the ship and tell them we need the medical bay ready." The two seemed grateful that they had an order to follow and preoccupy them. Far'hnde, however, was no so easily put off.

"First, I want to know what in the name of the Gods those things were," he growled gestured outwards to corpses of the lycans.

"They are called lycans by the humans. Like the vampires, they are human mutated by a virus. The virus allows them to shift their forms at will. Their bites are poisonous and that's how the virus is spread," Tarn'se muttered wearily, watching Nix'tre and Leav'ne set up the stretcher next to Dras'gul.

Far'hnde paused, "You mean to tell me there are _more_ mutated humans running around besides vampires?"

"Apparently, yes," Tarn'se muttered, looked out at the corpses that covered the ground.

"And how many others are we not yet aware of?"

Silence hung in the air as tension rose. Tarn'se settled on the truth, "I have no idea."

Far'hnde snorted, "Useful knowledge…"

Tarn'se felt his temper flare, "We could have more useful knowledge if it wasn't for you and your prejudicial tempers…"

Far'hnde hissed, "My prejudicial tempers?"

Tarn'se growled deeply, "Yes, the same ones that sent away our most helpful ally."

"A human…" Far'hnde began.

"A human who knows more about this world than we ever could!" Tarn'se snapped, putting his visored face close to Far'hnde's; at that moment, Tarn'se realized how much taller Far'hnde was than him, but he really didn't care, "They know more that us, Far'hnde! This is their world. They know of the creatures that thrive here and we would be fools to ignore them! And as for our blood," Tarn'se voice dropped to a whisper, "How the _pauk_ do you think I ended up not turning into a vampire?"

There was a pause in which Nix'tre spoke up softly, "We are ready to leave, Leader." Tarn'se felt a surge of gratitude towards the warrior; by adding the title, Nix'tre showed that his loyalties still lay with Tarn'se. For a few moments, Tarn'se had started to believe that he really was inept...

Far'hnde seemed to back off a bit though he spoke with an air of dominance, "We will leave this world as soon as possible. This hunt was ill prepared and to hastily put together; it would be wise to return to the home world until we know more about _all_ of the new monsters on this world."

"I agree," Tarn'se said with a nod; he was feeling grateful it hadn't come to blows between himself and the Arbitrator. Tarn'se gestured to the others who heaved up Dras'gul's body and carried it out of the structure; Far'hnde exited just as quickly, tapping at his wrist computer and muttering quietly. Tarn'se sighed quietly; at least the Arbitrator had enough sense at the moment to finally heed Tarn'se's orders in contacting the ship. Tarn'se followed closely after his group and kept his shuriken and plasma caster ready; there could still be Lycans lurking about.

_Don't worry, the next will be out soon. And guess what? I gots ideas for making this series into a trilogy! Wanna guess the new supernatural creatures that'll be in the next one? Go ahead, guess! Please REVIEW!_


	9. Arbitrators and Bad Bloods

Hello peoples

_I'm graduated! WOOT! Yes, I finished off my senior year with a 4.21 GPA and I'm headed off to college! But, that means I've got a summer full of writing time. Hell, in the past three days I've been whittling away at various stories so hopefully this story will be updated more often. Thanks to__** ben revell, Master of the Boot, Raptor Chick, starspawn07, **__and__** Lord CrutchCricket**__ for the reviews! Always loyal reviewers… (gives cookies) Enjoy!_

**Chapter 9: Arbitrators and Bad Bloods**

"_What a curious noise…"_ Zet'rov thought as she knelt before the dying human. It was making a strange keening sound, high pitched and frequent. She had never heard a human make that sort of noise, but it was strangely enticing to her sadistic mind.

This was the male human she had considered hunting a few nights before when she had chosen to go after the female and her guards. _That_ hunt had been exciting. But she was still curious of what thrills she had passed by when she had chosen not to pursue the human male. So, after a few careful days of tracking, she had found the human and followed him back to his dwelling. It was there, in the middle of the largest room of the dwelling, where she had slaughtered his two guards and had easily taken down the male so she could perform her work.

Another carefully directed cut sliced a delicate curve into the left pectoral muscle of the human. On the home world, she had dabbled in weapons and jewelry designs. Her instructor had rather admired her work and often told her that should she ever become cripple in a hunt she would still have some sort of livelihood that would keep her from becoming an _Eta,_ a yautja servant, unable to hunt with no honor left.

The patterns she made were beautifully complex, though her gruesome palette turned the work from a beautiful picture to a grotesque act. She gave a small hiss of pleasure as she completed the design and pulled back to observe the glyph from a distance. It was a symbol for a skilled tracker, often emblazoned on a tracker's armor and clothing. She was quite familiar with the symbol being it was still present on much of her old, but sturdy armor. She smiled and moved closer to add another design; perhaps the symbol for victory… that was always a delightful one to depict.

Zet'rov hissed and gave the human a sharp swat when it began to shake, making her err in the primary line of the glyph. The hit did not deter the human's shaking and in a few moments the human gave a sharp twitch and its breath hissed out of its mouth as it died.

Annoyed, Zet'rov turned away from the corpse; performing her artwork on a dead creature put her off. A fresh, warm, bleeding subject made her hobby much more enjoyable.

She contemplated the body; all of the other bodies she had carved she had left for the humans to discover. But she was particularly proud of the work she had done on this one, especially the tracker glyph. She debated for a moment, and then crouched next to the corpse. She pulled out a curved knife made especially for skinning various, soft skinned creatures. A quick swirl created a circle around the design. She slipped the knife under the skin and cut the flesh away from the muscle beneath. She slipped the slab of skin in a pouch; she would tan it later and perhaps use it as a patch for the leathery garments she wore when she didn't hunt…

* * *

The ground glowed green in the dark night. They were all dead or dying, every one of them. A pleased purr rumbled through Tarn'se chest. He felt completely revitalized. A few steps away Nacht walked amongst the dead, a small smile on her face, "You've done well, my child. None were left alive, I'm sure of it. There are none to tell the tale of this night. Your presence shall remain undetected until you wish to reveal it.

"Yes, you have a glorious future ahead of you… I will aid you in it. You can have my word in that."

"What is my future, Mistress?" Tarn'se was slightly confused. The blood he had drank was making his head spin a bit and he couldn't quite think straight just yet.

"World dominion, my child... you have no comprehension yet of your powers. Think on it. Your entire former clan is destroyed by our hands in only _one_ night. Imagine what we could do!" Nacht continued to walk amongst the dead, gazing curiously at each face.

Tarn's grinned, "We could conquer many clans…" then he paused, frowning, "But, after a few clans are destroyed they would notice something was wrong. Eventually they would ally. We could not defeat a dozen clans allied together."

Nacht stopped walking and nodded serenely, "Yes, that is true… our power is limited, though I loath to admit it. However…" She knelt down to a body, "there is no reason why we need to fight alone."

Tarn'se move to her side and looked down at the body she knelt next to. It was a warrior, male, his breathing shallow and his eyes slightly glazed over from pain and his fast approaching death. Tarn'se's head jerked backward and he stared at Nacht, knowing what she was implying that he should do.

She smiled encouragingly at him, "You are strong enough to do so. I only give my blood to those worthy of the honor. My blood has made you strong; you can Turn you own children. It's quite simple. You already know how to do so…"

She gave Tarn'se a small nudge towards the body and Tarn'se withdrew a dagger from his waist and sliced his wrist sharply; he no longer wore his gauntlets for he had no use for them anymore. He lowered his hand to the warrior's mouth and watched as thick droplets of his blood fell into the yautja's mouth. The yautja stirred slightly and seemed to be drawn inexplicably to towards the bleeding wound.

"Make sure you hook his teeth into the wound," Nacht whispered into his ear, "You don't want the wound to close too quickly... you'll know when you've given him enough. Pull away quickly at that moment, for he will drain you if you don't."

Tarn'se gasped as bliss rushed through his frame as the warrior latched onto his wrist; it was the pleasure of feeding but a thousand times stronger. He watched in a daze as he Turned his first fledgling…

* * *

Tarn'se barely made it to the lavatory when he puked his guts out, gasping for breath. Gods, he could taste the blood of his clan mates on his tongue and his wrist still tingled from the warrior feeding from it.

As he lay gasping on the floor of his lavatory, Tarn'se wondered vaguely if he could get to the human hunters' dwelling, have the mind-block thing done and be back to the ship before anyone noticed. He doubted it.

The entire ship knew what had happened with the lycans. They all turned to Tarn'se who told them everything Ravyn had told him; he was grateful that they hadn't blamed him in the slightest for the danger he had put them in.

That did not remove the sting of the fact Dras'gul had died only a few hours before. The warrior had gone into a short, but violent seizure before his heart failed. The healer on board could do nothing to save the warrior's life.

They would be leaving Earth at the next moonrise. Despite their excellent cloaking technology, human could still perceive a yautja ship if it was close enough to the ground during the daylight hours. However, once the sun fell, anything under a yautja cloak would be almost invisible to the humans.

Tarn'se glanced at his bed and sighed; there was no way he was getting back to sleep after that nightmare. His stomach had finally settled, though the simple thought of food repulsed him. He glanced at his spear for a moment and grabbed it; he felt like training now, though it was the yautja equivalent of two in the morning.

The quiet serenity of the _keh'rite_ so early in the morning was a refreshing change from the normal raucous sparring matches so often held within its walls. The floor was scarred with scratches though it still held a slight give which had spared many a warrior annoying injuries such as sprains and stows.

Tarn'se went through a few calisthenics, his muscles remembering the movements with ease. Recently he had added a few particular groupings of movements made specifically for knocking an opponent off balance and finishing them with a stab through the heart.

He was about to run through one particularly troublesome move when he sensed someone was watching him. He turned slowly and spied Far'hnde relaxing against the doorframe. A spear rested lightly against the Arbitrator's shoulder and he wore a simple loincloth and two leather gauntlets.

This was the first time Tarn'se had seen the Arbitrator not wearing his protective suit; Jaelre had made jokes that Far'hnde even slept in the suit, paranoid that a Bad Blood would hunt him down in his sleep.

Despite the many years he had lived amongst his fellows and seen the greatest variety of scars and old battle wounds, Tarn'se had never seen such a medley of scars on one yautja. Dozens of small white dots and dashes marked healed puncture wounds. Lighter lines and curves showed where blades had carved into the Arbitrator's flesh. On both arms, Tarn'se could see systematic rows of scars that looked disturbingly like teeth marks. A small hunk of flesh was missing from the lower lateral part of Far'hnde's left thigh. On one of his feet a mound of scar tissue formed on the bridge; Tarn'se shuddered mentally, knowing that once a blade had been slammed through the top of the Arbitrator's foot.

Most prominent of all the scars was one made of five equally spaced lines; claw marks. They extended from the top of Far'hnde's right shoulder and moved downward at a slight angle, disappearing below his belt. From their depth and the deep scarring, Tarn'se guessed that likely the Arbitrator was either pinned down or incapacitated when those marks were made. Those claw marks were not reminiscent of a lucky shot, but of a sadistic torture move.

All this went through Tarn'se's mind in a moment and, though he was still a bit irritated with the Arbitrator's treatment of Ravyn, he gave Far'hnde a small bow, "Arbitrator."

Far'hnde flicked his hand to the side as if to push the honorary title away, "I thought I was the only one fond of training in the earliest of hours."

"Normally I'd be sleeping…" Tarn'se trailed off; he felt no desire to tell Far'hnde of his nightmares.

Far'hnde strode out into the _keh'rite_ looking about aloofly, "The mornings are always the best times to train and think; there are rarely any interruptions and the silence is calming."

Tarn'se took a step towards the door, "I will leave you to your silence then."

Far'hnde's attention focused back on Tarn'se, "You can stay if you wish…" Far'hnde paused and seemed to be sizing Tarn'se up, "I rarely have a sparring partner."

Tarn'se stared at Far'hnde, "You want to spar?" As much as Tarn'se's pride hated it, Tarn'se doubted he could best Far'hnde in a fair fight.

Far'hnde chuckled, a surprisingly friendly sound, "You give me too much credit and yourself too little." With a suddenly lunged at Tarn'se, his spear swinging for a head shot.

Tarn'se ducked the strike and jabbed his own spear towards Far'hnde to counter. Far'hnde spun to the side, dodging Tarn'se's spear and swinging his own around of another shot. Tarn'se leaned back sharply, his muscled chest barely making it below Far'hnde's spear. He spun his spear backwards and jabbed behind him, hoping to hit Far'hnde as the Arbitrator spun past.

Far'hnde's casually dropped his spear shaft lower and blocked Tarn'se's spear. The two warriors froze, their hearts pounding and breaths coming in quick jolts. Far'hnde grinned, "Not bad… so far." Far'hnde abruptly pulled his spear back, pranced backwards, than pounced forward with shocking agility, his spear flying forward. Tarn'se jumped to the side, but saw Far'hnde's grip change. Instead of landing on his feet, Tarn'se allowed himself to fall and hit the ground, rolling on his shoulder to lessen the impact while Far'hnde's redirected spear whirled harmlessly above him.

With a powerful jerk, Tarn'se tugged his spear sharply towards him, the extended shaft hitting Far'hnde right above his ankles. Far'hnde began to fall backwards but turned the fall into a backwards, single-handed, hand spring, pushing off the ground to flip upright as Tarn'se charged him.

Tarn'se swung aiming for Far'hnde's exposed side. But like a lethal ballerina, Far'hnde spun away again and whirled his spear in half a dozen blurred, powerful blows. Tarn'se managed to block the first two successfully. The second one hit his spear at a bad angle, sending a shock of pain up his arms. The fourth knocked his spear down and the fifth and sixth delivered mirror-image blows to both his left and right sides.

Stumbling backwards, Tarn'se barely managed to block Far'hnde's next strike. As he rapidly retreated, Tarn'se felt his vision sharpen… a frighteningly familiar feeling. He remembered the last time he'd felt this way: his opponent had ended up with his head no longer attached to his shoulders.

Tarn'se threw his spear away from himself and backed away from Far'hnde's darting form as fast as he could, trying to control his breathing so to get rid of his sharpened senses. In the back of his mind he thought he heard Nacht's laughter ring through his head and images of a fellow warrior feeding off his blood made him sick with both pleasure and nausea.

Tarn'se felt rapid shivers of shock racing through his body. He vaguely remembered Ravyn telling him that she still had extra strength and abilities from nearly turning into a vampire. Tarn'se had yet to get into a serious spar since he had been nearly Turned; apparently, along with his nightmares, he still had some vampiric traits running in his blood.

Once he felt his body return to its normal state, Tarn'se opened his eyes and looked at Far'hnde who was staring at him with a meditative, almost knowing look on his face, "So, you are not completely cured." It was a dull statement with no emotion.

"After effects," Tarn'se sighed, "Rav… the female human told me they would remain for a while, but they will eventually fade."

"Are nightmares part of those after effects?" Far'hnde asked casually.

Tarn'se's stuttered, "How did you…"

"Know that you were having nightmares?" Far'hnde finished for him, "This isn't the only night I've come to the _keh'tire_ this late, and you're not very quiet when you have nightmares."

Tarn'se looked away, uncomfortable with the weakness he felt was wide open to be picked at by the Arbitrator like a carrion creature at a rotten carcass.

"Nightmares are the most wretched thing about being an Arbitrator," Far'hnde said abruptly, "The screams… they never leave."

Tarn'se stared at Far'hnde's blank face, partially surprised, mostly uncomfortable. Maybe Jaelre wasn't so wrong about Arbitrators being a little unstable.

Far'hnde's head shook as he snapped out of his reverie, "The rewards are great though, the knowledge that you've restored honor to those a Bad Blood has killed." He gave Tarn'se a quick once over, "You'd be a good candidate for a future Arbitrator." Tarn'se was too shocked to say anything; for an Arbitrator to suggest that a warrior become one of his caste was a rare occurrence but often ended with the warrior becoming an Arbitrator, "However, you'd make a better Elder."

"My thanks," Tarn'se bowed his head at the gracious compliment.

Far'hnde chuckled, "Please, spare me the niceties. They are entertaining for awhile, but they get rather dull as time wears on." Far'hnde paused, seeming to fight with himself internally, "And you have my apologies for chasing away your human ally, though I still advise staying away from her. Though there may be some wisdom in your alliance with her and her clan, I do not trust her completely. Perhaps you've seen something I haven't, but until I see it, it would be in your best interests to keep away."

Tarn'se moved to speak when a small devise clipped to Far'hnde belt began to emit a high-pitched, insistent alarm. Far'hnde stiffened and glanced at Tarn'se with a serious countenance, "Come, quickly."

Far'hnde moved with surprising speed though he was only walking. Tarn'se trailed him until they entered the main control room of the ship. Far'hnde began tapping out codes on the computer's control panel. Tarn'se recognized the pattern of Far'hnde's taps as a receiving code for a live transmission. But what could be so urgent that Far'hnde seemed so tense.

There was a small buzz and the large holographic heat-screen burst to life, bringing a particularly fearsome yautja face into a magnified view.

Though Tarn'se had not met this yautja in person, he recognized the face. A particularly old, yautja female, known as Le'vanta'e, was one of the higher heads of the Arbitrators. Her face was lined from her advanced age and all of the stress she had been faced with. Over the years, her once sharp green and brown tones had dulled. Her dreadlocks had faded to a light grey, almost white, and her body betrayed its weariness. However, her eyes remained as clear and dangerous as the day she was born, a pale gold that contrasted sharply with her pitch black suit and armor. She was probably ranked around third in command for the entire Arbitrator caste.

Arbitrators didn't really correspond to clans much anymore. Since the yautja were such a space-faring race, the authorities for the yautja had formed their own clan, constructed on a basic hierarchy, though more focused on hunting down Bad Bloods and maintaining the honor of the yautja species than ranking. Individually, Arbitrators were assigned to different areas whenever a Bad Blood showed up. The newer Arbitrators conducted their duties on the yautja home world, tracking down those Bad Bloods who had been unable to escape the planet whereas the more experienced traveled amongst the stars, searching for those Bad Bloods that found refuge in the vast universe.

Nevertheless, for Far'hnde to be contacted by such a prominent Arbitrator as Le'vanta'e meant that something big was going on.

"Arbitrator Far'hnde," her voice hissed. She paused for a moment, then seemed to notice that Tarn'se was present, "Leader Tarn'se," the acknowledgement was more like an afterthought.

Tarn'se gave a small bow, "Arbitrator Le'vanta'e. I'll take my leave; I doubt your calling is of my concern."

Le'vanta'e seemed to smile with her eyes, "Not so, Leader Tarn'se; this very much involves you, and your hunting party. It seems there is a Bad Blood on the loose upon Earth."

Far'hnde stiffened, "Are you certain?"

Le'vanta'e inclined her head, "A hunting pack on the other side of the planet contacted us. Apparently they had heard about your unique hunt but were concerned with the human reports of humans being skinned at your location. At first, we assumed the hunt may not be going well for you, but our trackers dug deeper and found that a Bad Blood was very recently heading in the direction of Earth."

"Which one?" Far'hnde asked.

Le'vanta'e paused, "Zet'rov."

The name meant nothing to Tarn'se but apparently it made all the difference to Far'hnde who stiffened and uttered a low growl.

"She is a very dangerous Bad Blood, one of our top quarries," Le'vanta'e added for Tarn'se's benefit, "I know this is an obvious shock but we have been hunting her far too long to let this chance to capture her slip from our grasp. I ask that…"

"Gods, she was right…" Tarn'se muttered, incidentally drawing the attention of both Far'hnde and Le'vanta'e.

"Who was right?" Le'vanta'e asked, suspicion lacing her voice. Tarn'se managed to glance at Far'hnde who was giving him a caution filled look. Mentioning Ravyn to the head Arbitrator was probably not the best idea in the world.

Tarn'se decided lying through omission was the best path, "During my hunt I encountered human hunters who were discussing the death and skinning of a human. They believed the human to have been tortured before the skinning and seemed confused as to why."

"When did you hear this?" Far'hnde asked.

"This past hunt, but with the circumstances being as they were it was pushed out of my mind."

Le'vanta'e seemed to consider Tarn'se story for a moment before accepting it, "Indeed. Perhaps you can use the humans own correspondence to help you pin point Zet'rov's location. But I request that your hunt be postponed indefinitely until you find Zet'rov or until she leaves Earth. And Far'hnde," Le'vanta'e gave a cold smile that made Tarn'se want to leave the room quickly, "Whether she's dead or alive is of no consequence." With that, the transmission ended.

_Yeah, Zet'rov's still alive and she'll be bouncing around the story more often from here on. PLEASE REVIEW!_


	10. Declaration

_Ok, before you guys tear me to pieces please hear me out. As most of you already know, I worm got into my computer and destroyed all of my work. And I mean all of it. Stories that I wrote since sixth grade, including one over two hundred pages long, are gone and thanks t my idiotic brother, the floppy disks I stored them on were thrown away. _

_For example, I had ten full chapters written and edited for Ambassadors. I now have none. I had about five written and edited for Monsters, including my plot lines and notes. I have none of those now. It's taken this long for me to piece together even the smallest remnants of my work hence the biggest hiatus I've ever been on._

_Also, this was my first semester of college and HOLY CRAP I've never had so much work in my life. Take an introductory psych course and you'll get a taste of it. I used to read on average two books (of at least 300 pages each) per week. Since college I've found time, if I'm lucky, to read one every two weeks. In addition, I'm sure some of you can understand this; I'm a very private writer. I used to lock myself in my room for hours and just type and was very irritable when interrupted. Now, I love my roommate but it is really hard for me to find the time to write freely with no interruption. _

_So after a relaxing break I was just sitting here tonight, well, this morning being it's 2 am here and I got a little itch I haven't felt in months. So I sat down and typed the following chapter. I really hope it's up to scratch and I do apologize for neglecting my work for so long._

_As usual, I'd like to thank **Master of the Boot, Raptor Chick, ben revell, Dark vengeance, Lord CrutchCricket, Ronnie R15, lamyka, starspawn07, and AyameKitsune **for their reviews and a special thanks goes to those who actually messaged me damn near begging me to continue. I really owe all of you guys for putting my ass back into gear and having me decide not to abandon my characters. So, enjoy and please review!_

**Chapter 10: Declaration**

"They did it! For once the French are somewhat useful!" Ivy shouted, bursting into Ravyn's office a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Hmm?" Ravyn stretched in her chair; its leg had been duct-taped back into place and gave a low creak, "What about the French?"

"They found Eve!" Ivy cawed, chucking a stapled packet of papers at Ravyn, who barely managed to catch them before they smacked her in the face, "She's been holed up in Paris for the past few weeks. They even managed to get a correspondence with her…" Ivy trialed off and snatched the papers out of Ravyn's hands, flipping to the right page, "Here it is… she said she'd be willing to meet with one of our delegates in three days; further preparations will be apparently sent to the Morning guild in Paris…" Ivy paused and glanced at Ravyn, "She only had one request."

Ravyn took the papers back gingerly and raised a brow, "Really? What'd she want?"

"We have to meet her there… in Paris."

"What!? You're telling me that she couldn't teleport her lazy ass over here? We have to cross the freakin' Atlantic to talk to her?"

Ivy shrugged, "At least she agreed to see us period…"

Ravyn hoisted herself out of her chair, "Well, if that's the case, you'd better start packing your bags."

"Right… wait, what?" Ivy twitched and looked at Ravyn.

"You're the best candidate for the job. You've taken lessons in French…"

"Three years ago…"

"I can't go because I've got some lycans to fight…"

"But Jonathan…"

"And Jonathan can't go because they'll probably kill him on sight."

Ivy gave Ravyn a strange look, "Who? The vampires?"

"No, the guild," Ravyn chuckled, "You see, they didn't part on good terms last time they met; Jonathan lost his temper and called the French leader, oh, what was it?, a 'cheese-eating-surrender-monkey'."

Ivy smiled, "That was… unique."

Ravyn returned the smile, "I'll give him props for creativity, but unfortunately for you, that also means that you're going to France."

A knock interrupted Ivy's response. Ivy pulled the door open revealing a young hunter that stood in the doorway, a Cd in his hand, "This was found in the mail addressed to you and Jonathan."

Ravyn took the disk from him, "Return address?"

"None."

A look of realization crossed Ravyn's face, soon followed by a rather suspicious one, "Do you know where Nathan is?"

The hunter raised a confused brow, "I believe he is asleep in his room."

"Could you get him for me? You're dismissed after that." The hunter nodded and left.

"Why do you want to see Nathan?" Ivy glanced at the disk. Ravyn didn't answer, but stood silent, tapping her foot.

A few minutes later a disheveled, sleepy Nathan staggered through the doorway, a blue fleece blanket pulled tight around his shoulders, "Whatdya want?"

"Did you send me this?" Ravyn held up the disk.

"What?"

"Did you send me this?" Ravyn waved the disk in front of his face.

Nathan stared at the disk, then grinned, "No…"

"For your sake I, I hope so," Ravyn growled, walking over to her TV and slipping the disk into the DVD player.

"Come on, can't you take a joke? It was April Fool's Day!" Nathan leaned again the doorframe, with a sleepy smile.

Ravyn shot him a venomous look, "There is nothing funny about sending me a porno in the mail!" At Ivy's snort of laughter, Ravyn snapped "Shut up! Don't encourage him. Pain in my ass…"

Ivy and Nathan's laughter died quickly as the DVD began to play and a vampire appeared on the screen. He was surprisingly old looking, perhaps in his late thirties when he was turned. His hair was a silvery grey and his face was well lined. Thin lips held a small smile and onyx and sliver eyes stared menacingly out of the TV. He was dressed in emerald green attire that would have been better suited to a sixteeth century English gentleman.

"Nathan, get Jonathan, now!" Ravyn snapped. Nathan bdropped his blanket and darted out of the room, all remnants of sleep gone from his mind, chased away by terror.

"Greetings hunters," the vampire spoke, his voice barely a whisper, but it resonated like a strong wind through an ancient deserted temple, "You undoubtedly knew of my impending arrival; if not, well," he chuckled, "you don't really deserve to call yourselves hunters now do you? I have given you ample time to flee my city yet you have obviously ignored such a generous offer. So, let us be civilized gentlemen and you may consider this my declaration of war. I look forward to our meeting on the field of battle." Sebastian bared his fangs in a grin and the camera shut off in a hiss of static.

"What now?" Ivy asked after a few moments of silence.

"We get our hunters back to the guild," Jonathan answered from the door. His face was emotionless and tight, "And we alert the other guilds as well."

"How much did you see?" Ravyn asked.

"Enough. You contact the other guilds, I'm taking a group out to get our hunters…" Jonathan hesitated, "Or retrieve what's left of them."

* * *

Jaelre gestured silently to his group to move forward. They were moving through the heart of the vampires' territory. The last thing they needed was to be outnumbered by the bloodsuckers.

Far'hnde had split their group up. Tarn'se had taken six hunters and he had taken five while Far'hnde had set off alone. The Arbitrator had seemed rather agitated of late, snapping at all of the hunters, even Tarn'se. Jaelre had no idea what was bothering the old warrior, but it wasn't making Jaelre like Far'hnde anymore than he already did.

Their ship has managed to lock onto a faint signal that could have been from the presence of another yautja ship. Far'hnde had headed in that direction and had sent Jaelre and Tarn'se's groups to the left and right of that position. It seemed a bit foolhardy to approach a Bad Blood, especially a female one, alone, but than again most Arbitrators did hunt their quarry alone. Maybe Far'hnde wanted the entire honor for himself. Either way, Jaelre was just glad to get away from the cranky Arbitrator.

One of the warriors in the front of their group stopped suddenly, the rest of the group halting quickly. Jaelre tensed. Though he was ready to fight, he really didn't want to battle a Bad Blood female. Bad Bloods warped by their own insanity were frightening beings both through their actions and the fact almost any yautja could become one. Plus, their lack of honor made them dangerously unpredictable. They could ambush a group or lead a warrior into a trap and they were notorious for fighting dirty.

As Jaelre approached the front of the group silently, he shuddered at the memory of the execution of a Bad Blood he had witnessed as a young blood. The warrior, suffering a brain injury from a hunt gone wrong and returned to the homeworld seemingly well until the warrior had massacred his mate and four of his fellows. The warrior had fled the Arbitrators and even managed to kill one, before some of his insanity returned and he begged the arbitrator to kill him. He had been captured and taken back for trial and execution. The worst part about the whole situation was the execution in which the warrior alternated between hysterical psychotic laughter and screaming for the Arbitrators to kill him.

Jaelre shuddered inwardly; that memory in particular had unnerved him for a long time…

He snapped out of his memories as the lead warrior pointed a claw. Jaelre's mask adjusted and he spotted numerous humans, hunters, patrolling a line of buildings and alleyways. They moved as one group, using hand signals and other unseen, silent devices to communicate.

After a quick scan, Jaelre determined that the human female, Ravyn, was not amongst the group. Though he had no clue as to what infatuation Tarn'se had with that human female that made his friend trust her so, Jaelre could only guess that it would lead Tarn'se into further trouble than he was already in. Human were like that; their unpredictable nature led to nothing but destruction. It was a wonder their species endured this long.

He gestured for his group to move around the human's guard when there was a loud cry… a human one.

Human weaponry began to discharge and a melody of shouts and screams filled the air. After a few moments Jaelre saw the cooler heat signatures of vampires darting about the humans. After a few moments, it was oblivious that the vampires had the advantage of numbers and the humans began to abandon their posts in a full retreat.

A howl rose in the air and Jaelre spun to see a large group of the creatures known as lycans charging the humans from behind. The humans, now facing two foes, each with very different weaknesses, were losing badly.

The vampires quickly took control of the tops of the buildings using their teleportation abilities to transport them there. Those humans still alive fled the rooftops and took to the streets. Most joined into a central group, forming a defensive circle so that their backs were protected. Vampire or lycan quickly overtook the few hunters that attempted to flee on their own.

Within a few moments the main group of two-dozen or so humans were whittled down to a lone five, of which two looked severely injured while the others sported only minor wounds. They were surrounded by a writhing mass of vampires and lycans, but something seemed to whole the group back from lunging and ripping the surviving quintet to pieces.

The wall of monsters parted slightly in a narrow way and a lone figure could be seen approaching the group. Jaelre zoomed his mask in to survey the figure and was shocked to see a brightly glowing heat signature, though not as bright as the glow of a lycan. It was definitely a male human. He wore a strange motley of clothing over its' tiny frame that spoke of the neither vampire nor lycan style and as far as Jaelre's mask could tell, the human was completely unarmed.

Jaelre couldn't quite hear what the human said to the hunters, but it was obvious that it wasn't to the hunters' tastes, being the biggest male spit in the human's face.

Jaelre wasn't quite sure what happened next, but the male hunter seemed to lift off of his feet, hovering in the air. Then, a sickening tearing and cracking noise echoed through the air and the hunter's chest exploded in a gout of blood. The hunter hung in the air for a moment before dropping to the ground, a corpse.

The other hunters cried their distress at the fall of their comrade. The human gave a chillingly high-pitched laugh and turned away, the apparent signal for the lycans and vampires to cease their standstill. The hunters disappeared in a flash, only their screams of agony signally that they still lived, though for not much longer.

Silence hung in the group of the yautja though Jaelre quickly snapped at the group, "Unless you want to end up like them, get moving! Circle around." The group quickly moved out, the warriors knowing when they were outmatched. They were prepared for hunting a Bad Blood, not fighting a horde of vampires and lycans!

However, Jaelre sent up a silent thought to Cetanu; the humans had died a terrible, yet honorable death. At the very least, they deserved peace.


	11. Partners

_Ok, I can imagine a lot of you are ready to burn me at the stake, but hear me out. Summer was a little more hectic than I had anticipated and I'm currently working in a lab with a professor at my college running experiments and tests, ect. That, on top of club activities and other biology major stuff (shudders… the lab reports… no more lab reports!) My time for writing is horribly limited and I apologize for the huge gaps between updates. I'll try to do better but I'll need more of the amazing patience you've all shown me so far._

_Thanks to __**predator808, Master of the Boot, Lord CrutchCricket, Raptor-Chick, Dark vengeance, **__and __**starspawn07**__ for your reviews and support. I keep going for you guys, _

**Chapter 11: Partners**

"How cold is it in France this time of year? You think I should bring fleece or would cotton suffice?" Ivy tilted her head and asked Ravyn.

Clipping together a weapon harness Ravyn glanced over at Ivy who was holding two sets of nightclothes in her hands: one, a deep magenta fleece with a pink heart pattern, while the other was a light lavender colored cotton with pastel floral print. Ravyn grimaced, "I say you take the both of them and use 'em for kindling."

"Haha, very funny," Ivy's eyes darted between the two and she shrugged tossing the magenta ones aside and stuffing the lavender ones in an overstuffed suitcase.

"Lesser of two evils, eh?" Ravyn grinned strapping on metal studded leather pads over thin steel plates; steel plating wasn't used much as an armor considering it's limited flexibility and how its weight could slow a hunter down. Of course titanium plating would be a lighter, stronger alternative, but the guilds weren't _that_ rich, "Damn, are you going to France for three days or three years?"

"Hey, everything… in here… has a… purpose," Ivy growled through gritted teeth as she tried hold the suitcase closed as zipper it at the same time. Ravyn sighed and walked over, plopping down on the suitcase, her weight allowing Ivy to win her battle with fewer struggles.

"Now, can you get this?" Ravyn turned and gestured to the corset-like laces on the back of the leather armor. The corset design allowed a large panel of protective tanned leather to protect Ravyn's front while a tight leather jacket would go over the armor, protecting the laces in the back. Watching Ivy in the mirror, Ravyn allowed herself a smile. She looked like a cross between an elven ranger and a biker. Though leather looked nice, there was a reason why bikers wore the stuff; what other material provided such good protection from becoming highway spin-art?

"Vince! Get your ass in gear! We're almost ready to go!" In lieu of her confrontation with Tarn'se's apparent superior, Ravyn assumed the alien wouldn't be showing for the Duel that night. So, she was resigned to choose Vince, one of the older guild members, which meant he'd be slower than his younger counterparts, but twice as cunning. And considering they were fighting the Alphas of the Moonsong pack, they'd need all the intelligence they could get.

"Yo Ravyn!" Nathan burst into the room earning glares from both women, "Someone's here to see you!"

"You're developing a rather nasty habit of bursting into rooms," Ivy scolded.

Ravyn added, gesturing to her armor and clothing, "What if I'd been naked?"

Nathan grinned, "That would have been quite a sight!"

"Pervert," Ravyn muttered, "What did you say?"

Nathan gave a grandiose gesture towards the door and Tarn'se appeared, his cloaking field turning off, "You should be more respectful and careful around the females," he advised Nathan, "It is not wise to anger them."

"Give me one good reason," Nathan responded, plopping himself down on Ravyn's bed.

"Well, on my home world if a male were to behold a female unclothed, and she did not want him to, they are known for taking out a male's eye, if not both of them."

Nathan paled and hissed, "Don't give them ideas!"

Ravyn gave him a pointed look and then turned to Tarn'se, "You showed?"

"Did you not expect me to?"

"Well, after my happy encounter with Matrix-boy I didn't think you'd be allowed."

"Matrix-boy?"

"Yeah, the guy in the black leather suit."

"You mean Far'hnde? That it an Arbitrator suit, a very strong armor. And though he is not fond of you he has more pressing concerns at the moment."

Ravyn raised a brow, "Such as…"

"You were correct about the Bad Blood. We are hunting her now."

"Her?" Ravyn glanced at Ivy, "Your criminal's a chick?"

"Chick? If you mean female, yes."

Nathan cringed, "If your normal girls rip guys eyes out I don't wanna see the crazy ones."

"Shouldn't you be out hunting her?" Ivy asked pointedly.

Tarn'se gave a please rattle, "Actually I was sent here to _further investigate human reports of possible sightings of the Bad Blood_; Far'hnde does not know nor does he care how long I'm gone."

Ravyn grinned and shouted at the next room, "Hey Vince! It's your lucky day!"

* * *

Tarn'se had been escorted by Nathan down into a small but comfortable waiting room while Ravyn finished getting ready. The human that was previously going to accompany Ravyn to the Duel had stared at Tarn'se in shock before muttering, "I'm glad I'm not a lycan."

He was examining some sort of colored drawing that was frame on a wall picturing melting human time keeping devices when Ravyn walked in, fully suited in armor, "Dali," she said, pointing at the picture, "He's a famous human painter. That's a replica, of course, but a nice one."

"What is it meant to depict?" Tarn'se asked.

"I really don't know; I'm not a very… art oriented person. Jonathan would probably have some idea, but I wouldn't ask unless you want to listen to him philosophize for a few hours. Before we leave though…" Ravyn reached in a pocket and dug around for a few moments before pulling out a ring and holding it up. It was a plain, glossy black band with a small symbol that looked like a line with a spiral wrapped around it engraved on the surface.

"I'm not much of a inspiring speech person, so bare with me here. This is an Ash Guild Ring. They're used to identify guild members. Each guild has a different sort of ring and a different way of testing its' authenticity." Taking the ring between her thumb and forefinger, Ravyn roughly slammed it against the brick wall of the room. Pulling the ring back she held it up, "Not a scratch. However, you toss this in a fire, the black melts off and leaves a small silver band with the Ash Guild's symbol engraved on the inside. So far no vampires have been able to recreate one so it helps when they try to send their human servants after us."

Biting her lip, she continued, "Here's the hard part. This ring doesn't just mean we're allies, it means you part of this guild. In turn your enemies are ours, and visa-versa. We will come to your aid whenever you request it and defend you with our lives, yet you must make that promise in turn. This is a life-binding contract so to speak. I… understand if you can't accept this due to your… situation with your superior, but in order to fight in the Duel you must be part of our Guild. And to be honest I probably should have given you one of these when you were here last time." She shifted slightly, seeming slightly self-conscious, before adding, "So, what say you?"

Tarn'se stared at the tiny ring as if it were a _kainde amedha_ hissing at him. He in no way thought of this as a joke. This was as binding as the oath all yautja swore to their elders as they were Blooded and recognized as warriors, in which they swore on their honor to uphold the laws and code of the Hunt. If he agreed to this and should he break this oath, he would lose not only his honor… but his soul.

Ravyn was about to close her hand over the ring when Tarn'se reached his clawed hand out and took it, "I swear to honor this oath as long as I draw breathe and I am honored by it," his mask translated.

Letting out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding, Ravyn smiled, "Welcome to the Ash Guild! Normally we have a bit of a party but we've kinda got things to do."

Tarn'se laughed deeply, "I'd rather hunt than celebrate."

* * *

An hour later Ravyn and Tarn'se strode through the heavily wooden nature preserve. It was a huge chuck of land just outside the city limits teeming with life. It was the same preserve that housed Nacht's hidden fortress, though the place was little more than a ruin once the hunters were through with it.

The sky was clear and it was a warm night, one of the last of its kind as autumn ruled and winter rode in one its' heels. As they walked Ravyn gave Tarn'se a quick overview of what to expect during the Duel.

"They'll bite but they cannot break skin so they'll have to be careful about it; it'll be probably their greatest weakness. Even if they pierce skin don't expect them to stop fighting. It'll be one hell of a breach in courtesy but if you leave an obvious opening, they'll take it. You've fought them before so you know how strong these guys are.

"The key to winning the Duel is pinning one of your opponents, not both. I highly doubt they'll even try to pin you so I'll be their main focus as Laura, the alpha-female, will be ours, simply because were both smaller. The lycans view coordination between pack members to be as important, if not more, than brute strength so that's where the whole pin one - win all idea comes from I guess. A non-partial judge will watch and end the Duel when one side wins. Jonathan said he got someone but I have no clue who it is.

"Oh, and we'll each be allowed five weapons, being they have two sets of claws and their teeth. No long range weapons, though throwing knives are allowed."

A faint crashing noise silenced Ravyn and the two hunters stopped listening carefully to the sound to determine its' origins. Tarn'se hissed and murmured, "A lycan approaches."

Sure enough a light grey wolf appeared and skidded to a halt at the sight of Tarn'se a growl bubbling up from its throat.

"Hey!" Ravyn barked, "Your Alphas won't want you to keep us waiting. Save the growls for Sebastian." The wolf regarded her carefully before turning and moving away at a slow trot, knowing they would follow.

The grey wolf led them to the edge of a large natural clearing. The Moonsong pack, in their wolf forms, ringed the edges of the clearing with Darien and Laura, the pack's Alpha male and female respectively, in the center; they were the only two lycans still in human-form. Ravyn was surprised to see Jazel standing a little of the left of the two alphas; she realized with a start that the vampire was the nonbiased judge that Jonathan had chosen.

Of course, Ravyn's surprise at seeing Jazel wasn't even close to the shock the entire clearing showed towards Tarn'se.

"_That_ thing is your mate!?" Laura barked, starting incredulously.

"Damn child," Jazel murmured, looking Tarn'se up and down, "if you wanted something exotic I know a few human that could suffice. There's no need to go beyond the species line."

Ravyn sighed and rolled her eyes, noticing that Tarn'se had stopped dead in his tracks, his mask turned towards her; belatedly she realized she hadn't warned him about the whole "mate" thing. Oops.

"He's not my _mate_," Ravyn snapped, "I don't have one, so I chose a substitute."

Laura stuttered, "You… you must pick a substitute that's part of your pack!"

Ravyn grinned, "He is… he was made a full member approximately an hour ago."

"That is cheating!" Laura roared, "You can't just pick any creature that wanders by to join your pack!"

"Hey! He's save my ass more times than I can count not to mention aided in killing Nacht. He should have been a member over a year ago!"

Laura twitched but regained her composure, giving Ravyn a stony look that promised no pulled punches in the upcoming battle, "Very well. Present your weapons."

Ravyn pulled out the katana strapped to her back, two stiletto throwing knives, and flexed her wrists. Two blades the length of her forearm snapped outwards from hidden guards on her wrists. She glanced at Tarn'se a grinned, "Your fancy wrist-blades inspired Ivy so she made a set of these."

"However…" Laura murmured, her eyes sparkling with idea, "A _human_ is allowed five weapons for they have no claws or teeth with which to fight." She pointed at Tarn'se's hands, "_Its_ claws however are match to ours. They count as two weapons in themselves."

"You made that up!" Ravyn argued.

"Then you should have thought twice about your choice in partner," Laura countered, "Also, he needs to remove that mask. Not even you have that level of armored protection."

Ravyn glared, "He can't breathe if it's off!"

"I can breathe without my mask," Tarn'se corrected, "But only for a short time. I will also be unable to communicate."

"How long could you survive without sustaining permanent damage?" Laura asked.

"Twelve hours... though less with excessive exertion."

"Well, this battle shouldn't take that long," Laura smiled sweetly, enjoying her vengeance at Ravyn's expense.

Scowling Ravyn bit her lip; Laura was a clever bitch. Though she had pulled a fast one bringing Tarn'se to the Duel, Laura had effectively lowered Tarn'se's lethality.

Darien spoke for the first time that evening "My mate's arguments are sound," looking at Tarn'se he said, "Three weapons and you must remove the mask." His voice was deep, but soft, a whisper one did not have to strain to hear.

Tarn'se nodded and removed all of his weapons, minus his wrist blades, spear, and a long dagger that could suffice for a human sword. He left the rest of his weapons at the edge of the clearing. As he reached up to remove his mask, he heard Ravyn mutter, "You could have lied about the mask."

Paused, he replied, "It makes for a better challenge."

Ravyn rolled her eyes, "You and your challenges…"

As he disconnected the hoses connecting to his mask, white gas poured from them momentarily. Clicking a few releases on the side of his mask, Tarn'se pulled the plate from his face.

The lycans in the circle backed a few steps away. Darien visibly tensed while Laura's eyes looked more akin to those of a fish the way they bugged out of her head. Jazel hissed.

A monstrous combination of spines teeth and mandibles with two yellow eyes glaring outwards from beneath a domed brow and snakelike locks dangling about his face, the yautja's true face was a truly frightening sight. Ravyn quickly hid her own shock, realizing that until that point, she'd never seen him without his mask on. Holy shit…

Suddenly Tarn'se took a deep breathe and roared a challenge at the lycan, his mandibles flaring, making everyone in the clearing jump.

Jazel was the first to speak, "I stand corrected… I know of no humans _that_ exotic."

Darien recovered a moment before Laura, "And so this Duel between the Moonsong pack and the Ash Hunter Guild begins."

Then they began to Change.

Ravyn had seen a shape shifter Change before, but that didn't make her anymore resistant to the sight. Both Darien and Laura collapsed to the ground, loud crunching sounds signifying their bones snapping a rearranging. The thin white robes they wore fell off their morphing forms. Skin bubbled and grew specked as pelts burst forth. Within moments what had before appeared to be bags of fur and flesh stood as full lycan alphas.

They were not a wolf-hybrid creature as Hollywood loved to portray, but a wolf twice the size of the average timber wolf. Human intelligence burned in their eyes and their growls exposed their deadly teeth.

They wasted no more time with any more formalities, charging the two hunters.

_Hope you enjoyed it! Please review!_


	12. Ivy & Eve

_Yes I know its been forever. There will be an explanation at the end of the chapter, but I figure you guys have waited long enough. Thanks to **predator808, ben revell, starspawn07, Raptor-Chick, Ronnie R15, Jak4, Lamyka, LordCrunchCricket, StormRaven333, **and **mckeown **who reviewed the last chapter. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12: Ivy and Eve**

"Where the hell did I put my I-Pod?"

"If I'm meeting Amy at 5, that should give me…"

"I hope there's edible food at that convention; the only thing edible about that in-flight meal was the plastic fork…"

"Will someone shut that brat up? He's been screaming half the flight!"

Ivy rubbed at her head as the plane descended into the Paris International airport. Though over the years she had learned to better control her telepathy, being stuck in an enclosed space with so many people still took a toll on her mind. She couldn't completely block out all the voices, but she could tone them down enough. However, she hadn't managed to sleep at all during the plane ride, taking her energy was down and weakening her abilities.

Within a half hour she was out of the plane and picking up her luggage, glad that for once they didn't lose it. After making her way through the crowds to the outside hangar she let her mind reach out, grimacing at jumble of languages that poured into her head as she sifted through them, finally picking up her name floating within the quagmire of thought.

She followed the direction of the thought to a man in a business suit who met her eyes and smiled, "Bonjour dame Ivy, accueillir à Paris. Je suis Jacques. La Tête d'Association souhaite rencontrer avec vous le plus tôt possible." He opened the door passenger door of the car he stood next to, "Si vous ferez ?"

Ivy didn't speak a word of French, but she could pick up images and feelings. Warmth and respect washed her mind as well as a sudden desire for haste. She smiled and handed off her bags, sliding into the sleek blue car as Jacques tossed her luggage in the back, moved into the driver's seat and sped away.

* * *

Letting herself relax in the plush, high-backed red velvet chair Ivy's eyes roamed over the various violent décor that decorated the French Guild Head's office. Various weapons, apparently originating from ancient times to modern, hung form the walls.

Upon first seeing the French guild house, Ivy had decided they were both better funded and frivolous that the Guilds back home. The guild house was a literal mansion, complete with fountains, gardens and lots of expensive looking trinkets. Then again, they had probably been around a lot longer than any American guilds so who knew how much money they had accumulated over the past years.

She had been escorted to the guild head's office, and was told in broken English that he would be with her shortly. She was content to sit and relax for a few minutes anyway; it wasn't like the room was a boring white cell.

The most outstanding item in the room was the antique guillotine that stood in the corner, the blade lowered into the wooden headrest. The slight brown stains that surrounded the crescent carve out of the wooden base spoke that it wasn't a reproduction. Ivy glanced at its' impressive height, almost touching the swooping rafters of the ceiling and she pondered how the hell they had gotten the damn thing through the door,

The small door in question gave a slight squeak and Ivy hopped to her feet as a stout man entered the room. For a hunter, he was surprisingly old, perhaps in his fifties, his hair completely gray without any signs of balding. He held out his hand in which Ivy placed hers and received a polite kiss before he gestured for her to sit. The guild head maneuvered around the polished mahogany desk but did not sit in the chair that was a twin to Ivy's, with the exception of a huge tear in the velvet, exposing the padding beneath the fabric.

"Welcome to France, Mademoiselle Ivy. I hope you have found your short time here enjoyable?"

Ivy smiled, "Yes, Sir. Though you should tell Jacques to lay off the gas for his future escorts; most Americans don't have my strong stomach."

He grinned, "Well, he had good reason to hurry; we are short on time…" He paused, a flash of embarrassment flickering across he face, "Though, that does not excuse impertinence. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Remy, the Guild Lord here at the Pitié Guild."

"Please to meet you," Ivy said with a smile, widening to a grin as she caught some of his thoughts; Pitié meant "Mercy", though the guild was famed for showing none, "Jonathan has spoken… much of you." Ivy held back a giggle knowing this was probably the same Remy Jonathan had called a "Cheese-Eating-Surrender-Monkey".

Remy raised a brow, "I'm sure he has."

Ivy chewed her lip and changed the subject, "Ah, um… you said we need to hurry?"

"Indeed," Remy nodded, "Eve was very specific as to her conditions of this meeting. We are strictly forbidden to send any hunters to accompany you, unfortunately, though Eve was… kind enough, to offer to meet you in a crowded area."

Ivy leaned forward, "You spoke to Eve?"

Remy blinked, "Yes."

"How did she contact you?"

"She appeared in the chair you are sitting in while I was drinking my morning coffee. I must say I overreacted," he waved his hand at an axe on the wall. Upon closer inspection, Ivy could see a dent in the blade. Remy glanced at he torn chair, "I suppose I should be thankful she chose to miss after she ripped it from my hands…"

"I see," Ivy nodded, "She has a bad habit of startling people for her own entertainment. Though I'm glad to see she's around and will actually meet with me."

"Yes," Remy agreed, "But we must hurry if we do not want her to vanish again."

Ivy began to pick up on a sense of urgency emanating from Remy, "When do I meet with her?"

Remy glanced at his watch and frowned, "In twenty minutes. Jacques will drive you."

* * *

Ivy tapped her nails on the glass of the table and sighed. Eve was late.

The waiter approached the small table for the third time, inquiring in broken English if Ivy was sure that she didn't want anything.

"_Not what you're offering buddy,"_ Ivy thought, catching the waiter's true motive behind his smile and courteous behavior. Just because she her hair was dyed purple and she had a nose ring, god the stuff people thought made her twitch sometimes… and gag.

Stifling a yawn as the waiter moved away, Ivy grudgingly admired Eve's cleverness in planning this meeting. The place was public, a little pricey café with glass tables and polished wooden chairs sitting under a veranda. Younger people were gathered around, talking, flirting and eating; even with the kinky waiter Ivy decided that Eve definitely could have picked a worse place.

The sky had only just blackened, when a vampire would be at the peak of her strength while Ivy would still be slow from jet lag. Damn, a nap would be good now. Ivy let out a yawn, her eyes closing reflexively; when they opened Nacht was sitting across from her.

"Ack!" Ivy yelped, jerking back from the table her chair tipping backwards as her arms pin wheeled in a last-ditch attempt to regain her balance.

Nacht reached across the with liquid speed and caught the edge of the chair tapping it forwards enough that the legs clacked back onto solid ground, jerking Ivy forward.

"Steady little psychic, or you'll smash that lovely brain to putty on the concrete; and won't that be a waste?"

Ivy shuddered and blinked, "Eve?"

"No, Elvis. Thank you very much," the vampire said, a perfect vocal imitation.

"You look… different," Ivy managed, trying to reconcile with herself that it was Eve, not Nacht that sat in front of her.

Eve's hair was no longer multi-colored, but as black as her coal eyes. It hung to her waist in a wave of oil while a well-fitted violet dress clung to her frame sleek and stylish. Silver and black beading about the bodice, as well as the cut of the fabric, made flame-like designs crawling up her to wrap around her neck while the bottom was fashioned to look like rough waves.

She looked the spitting image of Nacht.

"Yes, I know I've let myself go a bit; hold on a moment." And she disappeared.

Ivy sighed and rolled her eyes, looking at her watch. Approximately forty eight seconds later. Eve reappeared, looking much more like herself. She wore a black-based, tie-dye t-shirt and a lemon yellow peasant skirt. A gaudy silver peace sign hung from a leather cord around her neck while huge glasses with neon pink frames covered her eyes. She worn no shoes and her trademark sombrero hat with the peacock feather perched on her head at a jaunty angle. Her hair dripped color.

Literally.

"Did you dunk your head in blue paint?" Ivy asked, wrinkling her nose as the acrylic smell hit her.

"Well I figured you'd be pissed if I was gone for a few hours at the salon, so I figured this would do," she twirled a finger around the clumping blue coated strands, coating her hand.

"Whatever," Ivy didn't want to discuss the dementedness of dunking one's head in a bucket of paint, let alone where the vampire had found an open can of paint to do so. That was not what she was here for, "We need to talk."

"Well, duh," Eve drawled, "Do you think I came here to play a rousing game of tidily-winks?"

Ivy held back a growl, " I am here as a representative…"

"One second, WAITER!" Eve yelled. The waiter approached the table seeming oblivious to Eve's appearance, paint and all. Eve rattled off something in French and the waiter trotted off quickly. "They have the best red wine here," Eve sighed.

"Right…" Ivy muttered as the waiter returned with two glasses setting one down in front each of them. Eve took a deep draw from hers and smiled, showing her pointed teeth.

"Much better. Now, love, what is it that you want?"

"I am here as a representative of the Ash Guild house as well as the surrounding guilds that hold charge of the areas of you sister's former territo- are you listening!" Ivy snapped. Eve wasn't even looking at her, choosing instead to finger paint all over the glass table.

"I'll listen when you actually have something to say."

"I _am_ saying something! Sebastian is moving in on your sister's territory…"

"Killing hunters, letting his dogs run wild, disturbing the peace…" Eve interrupted, ticking each fact off on her blue hand.

"God dammit!" Ivy pounded her fist on the table, "I am not here to play games Eve! IF you know all of this why the hell am I even here!"

Eve stared at her and slowly removed the ludicrous glassed, closing them with a click and hanging them for the collar of her shirt. She blinked lazily, "I must admit, that was my next question. Why _are _you here?"

"To tell you that all hell's broken loose since you up and disappeared," Ivy gritted her teeth as Eve held up a blue hand.

"Yes, I know," Her eyes fell to the table as her fingers swirled in elegant patterns, leaving elaborated designs on the table, "I have my informants. Sebastian is taking over and, with his politics, humans will figure out that something's going on and the hypothetical shit's gonna hit the proverbial fan," her eyes never left the table, "So what's that got to do with me?"

"We need you."

"Need _me?_" Eve glanced up her eyes watering, "Really? _You _need _me?_ I don't know what to say! You lil darlin'," Eve attempted to pinch Ivy's cheek, though Ivy managed to dodge it, simultaneously not wanting Eve to touch her nor get blue paint on her face.

Eve chuckled, "Seriously though, why the hell do you need me?"

"You're the only one who can rally and control the vampires; the only one who Sebastian would respect a claim from. You need to take over Nacht's empire," Ivy said quietly. She swallowed her distaste; Eve may be the lesser of two evils, but she was still evil.

"You want me to take my sister's place," Eve muttered as she dropped her eyes to the table wiped her hand across the glass, smearing the paint into a blue coating, only to draw her fingers through it, making lines in the paint, "But you are hunters. Why should I return to chase away a competitor only to be hunted myself?"

"We are willing to negotiate a temporary cease in hostilities until Sebastian gets back to his hole. Hell, if you want to put it that way, we'll hunt you whether you come back or not. We'll just be more persistent if you don't return."

"So let me get this straight. You want me to come back, claim my sister's territory as my own, chase Sebastian off, and everything will go back to as it was?"

Ivy thought about it, "That's pretty much it."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?" Ivy's eyes narrowed, "We are willing to offer…"

"You have nothing that I could possibly want," Eve wiped away her scrawlings and stood, "This little chat is over."

"Eve you must…"

'I must do nothing. I don't want my sister's lands. Give them to her rodents. They'll be happy to snap at each other for a piece of the meat."

"They are and it will be their downfall, and ours. Sebastian's is an idiot, even you must see that!" Ivy snapped, "People will notice his uprising. People will die."

"People die every day."

"Eve, it' your responsibility-"

"I owe_ nothing._" Eve hissed, baring her fangs, "Not to you, your little friends, or my sister."

"What about your fledglings?"

Eve blinked, "If they die they obviously weren't worth the trouble."

Ivy stared. This was not going at all as she had expected. Eve was always eccentric, but it was normally a bubbly, head-dipping-in-paint-crazy kind of way. This heartless, apathetic painter was not right; something was wrong. Ivy probed with her mind.

Gasping, Ivy clutched at her skull. It felt as if it was going to explode!

"Ah, ah, ah…" Eve wagged her finger at Ivy, "Bad girl. Those are not for you to see."

Slowly the pain dulled and Ivy grew desperate, and angry, "Eve, this isn't a matter of politics or ownership. If we didn't need you, I wouldn't be here. If you don't come back your carelessness will cost thousands of lives!"

"Carelessness costing lives…" Eve trailed off, "You know all about that now, don't you?"

"What?" Ivy raised a brow

Eve stared into her eyes, "Don't play coy, your carelessness cost many lives a long time ago, didn't it?"

Ivy stiffened, realizing what Eve was hinting at, "That was an accident." How the hell did Eve know?

"Was it?" Eve dropped back down into her chair and swirled her fingers in the paint, "How often do you stay awake at night telling yourself that?"

"That happened a long time ago."

"But the memories remain," Eve grinned, though it was more of a baring of teeth.

"Fine," Ivy snapped, moving to stand, "This isn't what I'm here for. If you're not coming we'll make you." Standing Ivy let her temper get the best of her, "Screw you, you heartless bitch."

"Heartless…" it was barely a whisper. As Ivy began to turn away, Eve lunged across the table, her paint coated hand grabbing Ivy's face while her clean one wrapped around the back of her head, pulling Ivy back over the table, knocking both glasses of wine to the ground where they shatters, spilling their bloody contents.

"You call me heartless? What of you, love? You do remember the screams don't you? The cries as the children realized they were surrounded by flame and their was no way out?"

Ivy tried to jerk out of Eve's grip, but it was an iron vice. Her eyes darted about looking for aid, but Eve was likely using her abilities of illusion to make it seem as if they weren't even there. Eve shook Ivy's head violently until Ivy met her eyes.

Eve continued, "Why didn't you help them Ivy? Why didn't you save them? Or take them with you before you started the blaze? Where was your heart then? Your selfishness condemned them all to burn. I've heard burning is the most painful death anyone can experience. You're alive as your very flesh chars and flakes off. You've heard the screams; is that what it sounded like? Being cooked alive?"

Tears streamed down Ivy's face, "It was an accident."

"Sure it was. You needed to escape, or you were going to die," Eve's eyes flickered downward, and then back to meet Ivy's, "As do I."

As suddenly as she was captured, Ivy was free as she collapsed back into her chair. Eve had vanished, leaving no sign of her presence but the blue paint smeared on her face and the table. There was something written in the paint. Though it was upside-down, Ivy could read it:

_**Murderer.**_

With a choked sob Ivy jumped up from her chair and ran away from the café, needing to run, to escape, to be anywhere else but the memories Eve had dragged up from their graves in Ivy's mind.

* * *

_I realize I haven't updated in almost a year, but I've been up to my ears in work. Currently I have a paid internship at my college (I'm working in a molecular biology lab!). Now, the problem is: my college is over 2 hours from my home so I needed to get my own apartment and pay for it too. So I'm working 2 jobs (giving summer tours at my college in addition to the lab job), and I'm working about 40 hours a week and essentially living on my own, so free time is hard to come across. _

_However, for all your guys' patience, I will promise this: Chapter 13 will be up by the end of this month. I need to review it and tweak it around, but it will be posted by then. Oh, and it's got a pretty good fight in it. ;)_

_Please review, 'cause you're the ones I keep writing for._


	13. Duel

_Here's chapter 13 as promised! Three days late (sorry about that) but here nonetheless. Thanks to __**ben revell, Clear as Mud, starspawn07, Lord CrutchCricket**, and **lamkya **__for the reviews!_

**Chapter 13: Duel**

Laura moved for Ravyn while Darien ran at Tarn'se.

Tarn'se extended his spear and balanced carefully on the balls on his feet waiting to move. Darien moved forward growling and snapping. Tarn'se moved through a set of attacks, jabbing and swinging his spear in moves designed to incapacitate his opponent.

Darien ducked and dodged the attacks with surprising agility and answered with a leap at Tarn'se who danced backwards.

Circling each other Tarn'se went for a risky move swinging his spear in a clumsy looking arc while engaging his wrist blades, hoping that Darien would focus on the spear and miss the blades.

Though Darien dodged inward as Tarn'se expected, he must have seen the wrist blades, for he dug his claws into the ground launched himself into Tarn'se, barreling him over.

Tarn'se lost his spear while he landed roughly on his arm, the wrist blades gouging wounds in the earth under him. He wrapped his taloned hand around Darien's neck and squeezed, digging his claws in. Darien yelped and his razor claws scrabbled at Tarn'se's chest, opening tiny cuts that oozed neon green blood.

Darien's desperate flailing allowed Tarn'se the leverage he needed to roll. Unfortunately, Darien managed to get his paws planted on the ground and slipped away before Tarn'se could pin him.

The lycan gave a few halfhearted snaps as Tarn'se began to stand; he swatted them away angrily, annoyed at his own inability to correctly assess the lycan's strength.

He wasted no time in stitching tactics; the lycan was obviously an experienced fighter, so perhaps less conventional fighting tactics would work against him.

Tarn'se began using combinations of moves and strikes reminiscent to those a yautja often utilized when fighting _kainde amedha_; darting in quickly, delivering a blow then retreating just as fast, though he was avoiding the claws and teeth of the lycan, not the acid blood of the _kainde amedha_.

He slammed the broadside of his spear across the lycan's face, stunning him, and moved in for the pin. From the way the male was staggering, Tarn'se must have hit him harder than he thought…

Too late Tarn'se realized the lycan was faking his injury and nimbly bounced aside as Tarn'se sailed past. Tarn'se spun in midair, and brought his spear to bear, blocking the lycan as he lunged for his throat and the winning pin.

Tarn'se kick upwards, his knee landing a solid blow in the lycan's ribs. The lycan still held an advantage but he backed off for the moment, moving around to Tarn'se's right and halting as a scream rang out in the clearing.

Turning towards the noise, Tarn'se saw Ravyn pressed down in the dirt, thrashing as Laura leap upon her, the lycan trying desperately to pin the thrashing hunter. One of Ravyn's arms was immobile and held at a strange angle, likely dislocated.

With a start Tarn'se cursed his stupidity. Darien's tentativeness in his fighting style was simply a ruse to keep him distracted while his mate took out the physically weakest fighter in the entire group: Ravyn.

* * *

Ravyn jumped and spun as Laura leap at her, slipping her katana out of the sheath across her back. She made a cut across the lycan's side, but the wound was shallow. Laura landed, spun faster than Ravyn though was possible and was on her as she brought her blade to bear.

Laura's claws scratched and her mouth snapped dangerously close to Ravyn's face; though she wouldn't bite, her dagger teeth were certainly daunting at such a close proximity.

Shoving a gloved hand out, Ravyn wrapped her hand around Laura's neck and began to squeeze. Though she knew she had no chance at strangling the lycan, she could at least keep those teeth away from her face.

Laura yelped and pulled free, her jaw clamping down on Ravyn's offending hand, not hard enough to pierce the leather glove, but just enough to tug and pull Ravyn off her balance towards the ground.

Ravyn brought down on one knee, swung her katana in an awkward swipe which Laura easily dodged. Surprisingly, Laura released Ravyn's hand, causing her to overbalance and fall backward. With expert precision, Laura ducked under Ravyn's arm and caught part of the katana's long handle in her teeth. With a vicious tug she wrenched the weapon from Ravyn's hand and whipped her head around, casting the katana far away into the woods that surrounded the clearing.

Ravyn's wrists flexed downwards and her fingers tapped two twin buttons that released the springs on Ravyn's wrists, her own wrist blades popping out and arming her effectively. The only problem with them was that they were very much close combat weapons; after experiencing Laura's strength firsthand, Ravyn didn't want the lycan to get that close again.

Backpedaling quickly, Ravyn circled Laura and vise versa. Quickly snatching up a throwing knife, Ravyn darted towards Laura, throwing the knife at the lycan's feet hoping to distract her.

Though Laura put herself at a disadvantage by jumping backwards to avoid the blade, she managed to shift away from Ravyn's charge so that Ravyn's swipes with her wrist blades were off target, only cutting shallow wounds into the lycan's thick pelt.

Whipping about, Laura's mouth snapped down on Ravyn's arm and twisted. Ravyn gasped as she was tugged to the ground, her body twisting as it landed, putting her body's weight in all the wrong places.

White. She heard screaming off in the distance. Suddenly, her mind snapped back into her body and she almost passed out at the agony in her shoulder; she realized she was the one screaming. She grit her teeth and willed herself to struggle against the lycan that was trying to pin her. If Laura succeeded, all was lost. Without lycan support, the hunter guilds would surely fall to Sebastian's hordes.

Just as her mind was fading to black, reality shifted and everything changed. The pain in her shoulder dulled, but she was much more aware of the weight and position of Laura. She could hear her own heartbeat slow while hearing Tarn'se roared in anger. She tasted blood in her mouth, hot and copper, smelt the earth her face was pressed against.

With a hiss, she reached out and grabbed Laura's closest leg and squeezed. At first nothing happened, but she soon felt bone begin to bow and muscle and tendon shift under pressure. She still thrashed, halting Laura from getting a clean pin, and she could feel the lycan's moves become more desperate. Soon Laura would have to choose between a potential pin or a broken leg, the latter inevitably resulting in the loss of the Duel.

Ravyn moved as soon as she felt Laura' weight lift and she released the lycan's leg, not wanting her hand to be caught in the vice that was the lycan's mouth. She moved away quickly, her left arm dangling useless at her side and her right, arm blade still attached, held in a defensive posture.

Laura eyed her and growled. Her newfound senses pegged each tensing muscle in Laura's body and warned her of the impending lunge, but it never happened.

There was the blur of a large alien body as Ravyn watched Tarn'se barrel into Laura; a moment of struggle and Laura froze, two wicked serrated blades pressing at her neck.

* * *

It had taken what seemed like an eternity to finally dodge around Darien. Had it been a matter of killing the lycan, Tarn'se would have reached Ravyn within moments. But to kill an opponent in such formal combat would be not only disturbingly bad manners but also a strong violation of Honor. One could not follow the Path without holding to Honor as they were one.

He ended up baiting the lycan male to the edge of the clearing then leapt over him and sprinted towards Ravyn; he only needed a second to knock the female lycan off of her and he knew the male would give him no extra time to do so.

Strangely though, Ravyn and the female were now facing off. Tarn'se did not know how Ravyn had gotten herself out of such a precarious situation, but he did not pause to question it. A warrior did not question the past of a battle, only the moment and the future. He threw himself at the female before she could lunge and rolled, avoiding her snapping teeth and slashing claws. Finally, his weight overpowered her and he brought his wrist blades to the lycan's throat.

The female froze and he heard the vampire call out. He felt the lycan relax beneath him and he stood, releasing her. He turned to Ravyn and froze. She stood stock-still and regarded him with alien eyes.

"Ravyn," he spoke softly, her name coming out as a bizarre sound, though it was still recognizable. After a moment he made the connection between her stance and reaction; it was reminiscent of how a vampire stood, predatory, yet too still, too frozen. He knew what was running though her head now, the frenzied blood-lust.

"Ravyn!" he said her name again, sharply, hoping to reawake her from the haze he knew to be fogging her mind.

She blinked, shuddered and staggered. Tarn'se moved quickly and caught her before she hit the ground. She moaned softly as her injured arm was jostled. It was definitely dislocated.

Taking the opportunity of a limp, unsuspecting Ravyn, Tarn'se quickly assessed the angles and her bone structure, grabbed the upper part of the limb, and shoved it roughly back into the socket. There was some resistance then a release and a softer pop and the ball reentered the socket.

Ravyn gave a sharp cry and fell completely limp, unconscious. Tarn'se quickly assessed her wounds. She had lost a decent amount of blood, but not enough that she was in serious danger. The lycan's claws cut like razors, and the wounds bled appropriately.

Tarn'se laid Ravyn gently on the ground and quickly retrieved his mask. Already a scratchy, heavy feeling was settling within his lungs. Clicks and whirls later, he returned to Ravyn's side. She was sitting up now, though not moving much.

"Ravyn?"

She jumped, and sighed, "Huh? Oh, hey. You ok?" Her eyes took in his injuries, "You're glowing like a streetlight."

Tarn'se snorted, "I've endured much worse injuries. The lycan didn't so much fight me as attempt to keep me from coming to your aid, though apparently you didn't require it."

* * *

Chuckling lightly, Ravyn dug about her person and pulled out a small first aid kit hidden under her armor. She slipped out gaze, bandages, and antiseptic, her movements methodical as she had tended her wounds a thousand times before. Tarn'se, following her lead, pulled out his own medkit.

Ravyn was thankful Tarn'se was discreet enough to not ask her about the battle. She loathed when she fell into those trances. It was not the first time it had happened and she doubted it would be the last. True, the remnants of the vampire virus that ran through her veins had saved her ass tonight, but she would have attacked her own ally if her will had not wrested control from the battle rage that had wrapped like a python around her brain.

She glanced up and saw Laura and Darien sitting on the ground, looking tired and beaten; they had Changed back into their human forms whilst their pack, in wolf form, moved about them, licking at their wounds or simply providing physical contact for comfort's sake.

As she wiped disinfectant cloths over her wounds, she watched Tarn'se administer his own First Aid. A small dish with a flame heated an electric blue liquid poured over what looked like a mixture of fresh leaves and needles. Using what appeared to be a dull knife, he scooped up generous amount of the mixture and slathered it on his wounds, growling and hissing as the molten concoction cauterized the wounds closed.

"Ouch," Ravyn muttered, wincing at the thought of cauterizing her own wounds shut.

"Healing was never meant to be painless," Tarn'se growled through the pain, "It teaches one to not make the same mistakes."

"I'd think the wounds themselves would be enough of a punishment," Ravyn answered as a shadow eclipsed her face. Jazel was standing before her.

"Well done. The dogs' loyalty is yours," Jazel smirked, ignoring the lycan growls at her disrespectful comment, "And as is ours, especially if his kind is allied with you."

Ravyn left a level gaze at Jazel, "That's for Jonathan and me to discuss." She ignored the comment about Tarn'se and his group though her mind buzzed; the advantage would be incredible if Tarn'se and his group fought at their side.

"Sebastian is here," Jazel hissed, "He's already stolen or killed over two dozen fledglings. You'd best decide quickly if you do not want the Masters to start running to his side."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ravyn answered, her tone dismissing the vampire who gave her a haughty glare and vanished.

Sighing, she stood and packed away her First Aid Kit. She'd let the guild medic deal with her wounds more extensively when she got back to the guild house… and perhaps she would discuss with Tarn'se whether his group would be interested in facing off with the lycans a second time.

_Did you like it? Please tell me in a review! Also, I have a little vacation time coming up so I may get to writing more. Also, who else is REALLY FREAKIN' EXCITED for the new PREDATORS movie? I know I am! I'm going to see it the day it comes out with my dad (who first introduced me to Predator). Anyone else?_


	14. All Gone Wrong

_Looks at last update date: 7/2/**2010**._

_Holy shit. Well, I won't let anyone who's been waiting for this wait any longer. There's a longer author's note at the end. Many thanks to **Wommera, LordCrutchCriket, mckeown, lamyka, **and** Sleepy Nerd **for their reviews._

**Chapter 14: All Gone Wrong**

"Hey, Nathan, is Ivy home yet?" Ravyn asked as she rummaged around through the ] lab's stores. The bite wound on her arm had reopened and she knew there were extra bandages somewhere around here.

"Yeah, she got back about an hour ago," he replied, not looking up from the lab log, "Sleepin' I think." Despite his curiosity leading him to perform often-disastrous experiments, Nathan was fairly good at maintaining the guild's lab, prompting Ivy to leave him in charge of monitoring various experiments… with strict behavioral guidelines of course.

After the Duel, she'd offered to have Tarn'se come back the next night for the nightmare binding procedure. Jonathan had called after she got back, telling her that the guild meeting had been extended a day due to the outcome of the Duel and the hunters were staying at their secure location for the night. The meeting wouldn't start until close to midnight and Tarn'se had arrived just after sunset, which gave Ivy plenty of time to put the block in.

"Can you get her, please? Aha!" she held up the elusive bandages and tried to wrap them around her arm. After watching her struggle for a moment, Tarn'se stepped in and began to wrap the bandage firmly, "Tell her I'm sorry about the early wake-up call but we need her Professor X powers."

"Why?" Nathan glanced up, head tilting to the side. At Ravyn's bugger-off look he muttered, "Alright, alright, I'll go get her." He hopped out of his chair and up the steps. Within a few minutes, Ivy came thudding down, dressed in a baggy t-shirt and sweats, looking thoroughly rumpled. Her jet lag was showing.

"Hey Ravyn, Tarn'se," Ivy shuffled towards them, "Nathan said you needed me?'

Ravyn glanced up from Tarn'se's bandaging at Ivy's tone. Usually spunky in nature, Ivy's voice betrayed something deeper than exhaustion, a sort of resignation or depression, "Everything ok?"

"Mmm, no," Ivy snorted, "Eve's more off her rocker than we thought. I can guarantee she's not coming back."

"Damn. On the bright side we've just finished kicking some lycan ass, so we've got the Moonsong pack behind us, and likely Jazel and her posse's support as well. We'll hopefully be able to put up a fight when Sebastian stops screwing around and comes in for the kill. From what Jonathan told me the meetings have been going well." Ivy gave a non-committal grunt and Ravyn's eyes narrowed. Something was definitely up with the psychic, but she knew better than to press. Ivy would come clean with what was bugging her in due time, " We just need a quick mental wall and you can conk out for however long your heart desires."

Ivy blinked, "A mind wall? For… you?" her eyes locked onto Tarn'se who nodded.

"He's been getting some pretty sick nightmares featuring our favorite deceased blood sucker. One actually turned into a daymare when a vamp bit him the other day. Blacking out into lala-land when you're being jumped by a vamp typically doesn't end well, so I told him you might be able to help."

"Hmmm," Ivy nodded, "It became a daymare? How long have these been going on?"

"One of your years, a little more," Tarn'se answered.

"So not too soon after you were almost turned. I guess it could be a side effect, though the fact it manifested when you were bitten is… nothing I've heard of before," Ivy shrugged, "But putting up a block shouldn't be too difficult. Here," Ivy gestured towards a long stainless steal table set away from the delicate lab equipment, the head of which was flush with the brick wall of the basement, "Hop on."

* * *

Tarn'se chose to delicately set his wait on the table, thinking that if he did any hopping the table would certainly collapse. Ivy gestured for him to lie down, "Now try to let your mind go blank and, if you can, try to calm yourself like you're falling asleep." Tarn'se snorted lightly, as if he could truly be calm enough to sleep around humans, though he glanced at Ravyn's watchful heat signature and complied by shutting his eyes. He sensed Ivy's approach towards his head and was surprised to feel his thoughts beginning to become scattered and sluggish. Had they drugged him, or was this part of Ivy's abilities? His concentration wavered as his mind darkened…

… And he was kneeling, exhausted as he stared down at the three yautja lying before him. Two males, one female, they slept like the dead, their hearts not beating but a hint of warmth radiating from their forms indicating that they were far from deceased.

As he had Turned his first fledgling, Nacht had ghosted around the clan's settlement, finding only two other yautja that clung to life. She had brought them to him, and he had willingly offered his blood to Turn them. Nacht had warned him that they may not react well to their new form when they awoke, but she assured him that it was likely at least one would accept what they had become, the immortality and strength had been gifted to them, especially once they had fed.

He cast his weary gaze at Nacht who smiled benevolently at him, her fangs pressing into her lower lip, "Very good, my child. They should awake at sunset." Nacht glanced around at the structure they had taken shelter in. It was the inner chapel of the temple of Cetanu, a room devoid of any openings, with the exception of the large metal doors that barred the entrance. They would be safe from the deadly light of the twin suns that his planet circled.

She turned back to him and her face softened, "Turning three fledglings in one night is quite a task, even after such a feeding. Here," she pulled back the delicate red lace fabric of her gown, exposing her wrist as she offered it to him, "Drink."

Tarn'se hesitated at the honor. Vampires gave blood for two primary reasons: Turning another being and as an act of intimacy. Nacht raised a delicate brow and took a step closer, "You will be weak upon waking if you do not feed before you sleep. I will not have my consort pallid and feeble when he takes his children on their first feeding. Drink."

Unable to deny her, Tarn'se gently accepted the offered hand and bit down on the wrist, Nacht's blood spurting into his mouth and down his throat. It was an elixir, tasting of heat, time, and vigor. He purred as it aroused a mix of battle and mating lust in his mind as he sucked on the wound and drew the blood deeper into himself. He only faintly noticed the feel of Nacht's fingers slipping through his tresses while her cold high laughter rung through his lust-dulled mind…

Suddenly, there was pain. The images and feelings tore apart and everything shattered into razors that carved into his mind and set his thoughts on fire. He shrieked in agony, not knowing what this torture was or how to stop it.

And as soon as it had begun, the pain ceased as his eyes snapped open and he found himself staring at the ceiling of the hunter's dwelling, the back of his head pounding. His entire body ached and he growled softly, clicking in annoyance when he realized he was no longer on the metal table. He must have fallen off, which explained the majority of the pain in his backside. He quickly became aware of Ravyn's voice, high and frantic as she shouted the human Ivy's name.

Struggling he turned on his side and was surprised to see Ivy's prone form on the floor. He started; what the _pauk_ had happened? He remembered the dream but no one had mentioned that the binding procedure would hurt. He was a warrior, used to pain, but he sensed that something had gone very, very wrong.

* * *

Ravyn sighed in relief when Ivy moaned, shaking her head and cracking open her eyes. As she pushed Ivy into a sitting position, she was surprised by the small trickles of blood ran out of Ivy's nose, running two red streams down her face and dripping off her chin. Ravyn ran over to where she had left her bandages and tore off a piece, bunching it up staunching the flow, while tipping Ivy's head forwards. Ivy reached up and replaced Ravyn's hand, holding the bandage herself. A loud bird-chirp sound drew her attention to Tarn'se who was beginning to stand, "Was the pain… purposeful?"

Ravyn blinked, "It hurt?" At Tarn'se curt nod she frowned, "It isn't supposed to. Did you dream?"

"Yes. The dream continued… then much pain."

"I don't understand. There shouldn't have been any pain… at all! Something must've gone wrong."

"There's a block," came Ivy's muffled voice from the floor.

Ravyn looked at her, confused, "The block you put in?"

"No," Ivy pulled the bloody bandage from her nose, "That nightmare isn't natural. It was put there, kinda like when I put up a block, only this thing had a god-damn electric fence around it." Ivy turned to Tarn'se, "That was the pain. I found where the dream was coming from, deep in your subconscious, but when I started to cover it with other memories and tried to burn away the neural path to it, another neural path was set off, wired to your nervous system, specifically the pain receptors. It also gave me one hell of a shock."

Ivy grunted picking herself off the floor, "But that's beside the point. I can't help you." She frowned, "Someone or something put that dream or whatever it is in your head and made damn sure anyone trying to tamper with it would either kill you or themselves, before it was removed. I'm sorry." She hung her head and, for a moment, Ravyn though she was going to cry.

Ravyn stared, wondering what was up with the purple haired hunter who seemed almost frail in her emotional state. Yeah, this sucked for Tarn'se, but hunters didn't cry about that shit. They found a way around it, "Who could do something like that? Implant a dream in someone else's head?"

Ivy sighed, "Another telepath, perhaps a vampire if it was their gift."

* * *

Tarn'se hung his head, shuddering at the idea that he would never be able to sleep soundly again without continuing the story of his and Nacht's conquest of his home world. He didn't like the feelings the dreams prompted in him, and those emotions were becoming stronger in each.

So immersed in his thoughts, he almost missed that Ravyn and Ivy had gone silent, and were looking at him. He saw Ivy look at Ravyn and shake her head, moving towards the stairs, "Good luck. I'm going to bed."

"Luck?" he asked, looking to Ravyn, whose face glowed brighter under his scrutiny. He trilled at her, wanting a response.

Ravyn sighed heavily, "Just please hear me out. Can you do that?" At Tarn'se's affirming nod she continued, beginning to pace, staring at the ground, "I'm going to be completely honest with you. This war that's coming, isn't gonna be pretty. We're fairly well prepared, but Sebastian is a tough son of a bitch. I told you before that he's a strong believer in the manifest destiny, take-over-the-world idea and the fact he's moving in here is essentially step one of his plan for vamp dominion. Nacht was the only other true super-power on this continent and, as much as I hated her, I didn't realize that she was all that was stopping Sebastian from trying takeover of this continent. The other vampires in Europe, Asia and elsewhere are too isolated, hell even apathetic, to interfere here. By the time they realize what's happening here is affecting them, it'll be too late for them to do anything.

"And you know humans as well as I do. Once the truth about these _monsters_ comes out, I wouldn't be surprised if we start a nuclear war. We can't lose this fight, and right now it's way too close to call who's gonna be the winner. We need something to tip the scales." She stopped moving and looked at him, "You and your friends might be just what we need to win this."

* * *

Holding back a derisive denial of her request, Tarn'se shook his head, "I cannot help you in this." His mask had managed to translate most of her speech and it took all of his respect for her not to silence her once he realized where all of this was going.

"Why not?"

Tarn'se hissed. Humans and their whys. Most warriors didn't question obvious logic, but he drew on his patience, "What I am doing with you, this partnership, is forbidden by my kind. You have proven yourself trustworthy and honorable to me, but I am not a standard of my kind, but an exception. My fellows would sooner look at you and your clan as prey than equals. Only by my request was your clan forbidden for hunting.

"And this is no long a hunt. We are ordered to capture the Bad Blood and leave the planet."

He expected her face to fall, not twist into what he had begun to recognize as a thinking expression.

"So… If I proved myself trustworthy to your group, they might agree to help."

Tarn'se snorted and shook his head, "Even then, you forget our quarry."

"I can almost guarantee if you help us, you'll find your crazy chick."

That comment drew out a laugh, "You expect to succeed hunting down a Bad Blood where dozens of Arbitrators have failed?"

Ravyn smirked, "We're not tracking her down so much as attracting her. Think about it: This place is going to get very violent in a few days time. Your kind is attracted to that. What makes you think she isn't going to be drawn to the carnage?"

She had a point, but the mere possibility of the Bad Blood showing up wouldn't be enough to prompt Far'hnde into joining in alliance with a bunch of humans.

"Besides, aren't you the leader of these guys? Can't you, I don't know, tell them what to do."

Tarn'se growled, "I will not order my warriors into a battle against their wills."

"But you won't even ask them whether they'd be willing to fight? Hell, isn't that what you're all here for?"

"Ravyn." The growled name was a warning.

"Besides, I'm not asking you guys to even reveal yourselves. Just… show up and do what you do best: kill some vamps and lycans. I don't get what the big deal is!"

"Ki'cte! Enough!" Tarn'se roared, "Your desperation does not become you. I will not discuss this anymore."

* * *

Ravyn opened her mouth to argue when a scream echoed from somewhere above her, "What the hell?" She listened and heard shouting, recognizing Nathan's voice calling her name.

"Nathan!" Ravyn ran up the stairs, jogging through the hallways, trying to follow Nathan's shouting. It seemed to be coming from the front of the house. As she turned a corner, she caught movement and noted that Tarn'se was following her.

She turned the corner and came to a halt in the entryway, pushing her way through the small crowd that had gathered at the front door. The figures parted and Ravyn froze at the crumpled form on the doorstep: Jonathan.

He was alive, barely. A dark smear of black blood covered upraised concrete patio and steps that lead up to the house form where Nathan must have dragged him. The lack of a blood trail indicated he had been dumped there. Nathan was currently curled around Jonathan's form, the Guild leader's head and shoulders cradled in Nathan's lap. Nathan looked up at Ravyn, his eyes red and face wet with tears, "What do I do? I don't know what to do!"

Ravyn pointed to a hunter and barked at him to get Ivy and the other medics, but she knew already that the order was hollow. No hunter could lose that much blood and survive. Kneeling gently, Ravyn reached out to touch Jonathan's face. His eyelids fluttered and he took a light rasp of an inhale, "Ravyn." His pupils dilated and contracted, trying to focus on her face as his arm clumsily lifted in an attempt to make physical contact.

Ravyn caught his hand in hers and squeezed tightly, as if she could feed him her strength through her grip, "What happened?"

Jonathan coughed and his eyes shuttered close, "Sebastian. He found us. His people. Burned bastard." He fell into a fit of coughing, and Ravyn glanced down his form, noting the leather clothing he wore was split as if by knives as was the skin below it. His face was gray with blood loss, which made the purple-back bruises on his face stand out starkly. She saw no burns. Whatever he was talking about burning was in regards to the enemy, "They're all dead."

Ravyn exhaled slowly, "The Guild Heads."

Jonathan's head dipped, "Slaughtered. Contact the seconds. They're coming. I'm sorry." Each phrase was punctuated by a gasp and rattle. His eyes opened again and fixed on her face, "Good luck, kiddo. Kick some ass." His smile was more of a grimace, but Ravyn forced a grin as his grip on her hand tightened one last time and the light behind his eyes was extinguished.

Ravyn bit her lip, not minding that it bled, reaching forwards and setting Jonathan's lifeless hand on the ground and sliding his eyelids shut against the dark sky. A patch of pure white stood out against the blood painted black leather of Jonathan's armor. Ravyn snatched at it, tearing the paper from the pin that had been stuck to Jonathan's jacket.

It was a rather thick paper; parchment was Ravyn's guess, sealed with wax and an insignia: a dragon rampant with crossed axes in the background. She tore the paper open and scanned it. It was an absurdly scripted writing announcing a formal attack on the Ash Guild house the next night, promptly at midnight, unless the hunters vacated their claim to the area, dropped everything and left. Sebastian was betraying his colonial roots in these announced attacks. He wanted a gentleman's fight, though he insured that those who most threatened him, the guild leaders, were dead first.

Crumpling the letter, Ravyn stood and looked to the hunters who had poured out of the guild house and formed a ring around her, Nathan and their fallen leader. Ivy and two medics stood in the doorway and she could see the glimmer of Tarn'se invisible outline behind them. She pointed to Vince, his figure at the front of the crowd, "Call the guilds and tell whoever's left to get their people out of there and to gather here. You're in charge of organizing them into sensible groups. We aren't safe on our own anymore. Ivy," the crying scientist looked up from the body, "Get a hold of Darien and Laura. Tell them to prepare."

Ravyn straightened her spine, her voice not quite rising to a shout, but loud enough for all to hear, "The rest of you, get your armor on and your weapons sharpened. Sebastian and his army arrives tomorrow," she held up the crumpled piece of paper, "And win or lose, I swear to you all, we're going to make him pay for this with his disease-ridden blood! For Jonathan!"

The speech was short, but Ravyn's enraged cry sparked others, some the shouts of Jonathan's name, others cursing the vampire and his ilk, many just wordless screams promising violence. Two hunters stepped forwards and gently lifted Jonathan's body amid the racket and carried it inside. Nathan remained curled on the ground, relenting to Ravyn's tug as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Nate," the shorten name caught his attention through his grief, "I need to you to go to my office. On my desk, next to the computer is a small envelope with a phone number. Call it and tell whoever answers that the Guilds agree to the Jazel's proposal. Go, now." She gave him a little shove and he seemed to be eager to do anything that would take his mind off of the death of the man who had been a father to him.

The hunters dispersed, leaving Ravyn alone on the doorstep. Well, almost alone.

"You're leader fell with honor," came Tarn'se's mechanical voice, "His passing will be marked by the gods."

Ravyn clenched her teeth and nodded, "He was the best leader we've ever had. He was the one that found me, when vamps killed my family. He trained me, taught me how to be a predator, not prey. But that's what we'll be," she turned back towards the entrance, "All our leaders are gone… ambushed by that cheating son of a BITCH!" She slammed a punch into the doorframe denting the aluminum. Her hand flexed as she pulled it back, knuckles bloody, "And so we will fall with them, but not without a fight." She shuddered, battling down the rising primal panic that every animal felt when faced with their approaching unavoidable demise.

She moved to go inside, but an electronic beeping caught her attention. Tarn'se was tapping something into the gauntlet on his wrist. There was a pause, and guttural noises spilled from the device.

* * *

Tarn'se tapped out a signal in his gauntlet, sending a call to Far'hnde, his resolve unbendable. He quickly shut off his translator, not wanting the Arbitrator to know of his current company by wondering why he'd need an active translator. The Arbitrator answered quickly, "Leader Tarn'se, have you found a sign of the Bad Blood?"

"No, Arbitrator Far'hnde. But I believe I may have an idea where she may be hunting next."

"What is it?" Tarn'se picked up on Far'hnde's ravenous tone. The Arbitrator really wanted this Bad Blood.

"There is going to be a small war at the human hunters' dwelling. The lycanthropes we encountered where not a normal occurrence. They are part of a large vampire invasion. I believe the bloodshed at this event will draw her to this area. If it does not, I doubt she is still within this city. I am going to stay here and look for her in the melee." He would stay, not for the Bad Blood, but for Ravyn. With her leader dead, as well as those of the other humans clans, his honor would not allow him to abandon her, especially after his vow to aid her in times of crisis. He could only hope Far'hnde would not see through his plan and Ravyn's desperate argument regarding the Bad Blood.

He heard Far'hnde clicking with uncertainty, "A strange theory, though I suppose there is some sense in it. Zet'rov is known for her obsession with bloodshed, but whether she would be attracted to such an event is indeterminate. How do you know of this planned attack?" There was a pause, where Tarn'se didn't answer, then a growl, "Tarn'se. You wouldn't happen to be interacting again with that female you brought with you before, are you?"

"_C'jit."_ Tarn'se cursed mentally. This wasn't going the way he hoped, "And if I am?"

"Warrior Tarn'se!" Far'hnde snarled, "We are here to catch a Bad Blood, not play around with humans! I admit to her usefulness, but this is not the time for such games!"

"I am not playing with them! They've been tracking the Bad Blood's human targets as well and I thought it prudent to see if the humans had found anything we had missed." That was a boldfaced lie, but what Far'hnde didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Who are you talking to?" Tarn'se twitched when Ravyn spoke. He'd forgotten she was even there.

"YOU'RE WITH HER NOW!" The Arbitrator roared, making Tarn'se flinch.

"Is that that Matrix asshole?" came Ravyn's voice again. Tarn'se couldn't understand her without the translator… but Far'hnde could.

* * *

"Silence, you insignificant creature! This has nothing to do with you or your kind. Leave. NOW."

Ravyn bristled. Did that bastard just tell her to leave… over a radio? All the rage at Jonathan's death, at Sebastian's tactics, at Eve for abandoning her territory and leaving them with the mess, spilled over. Her punch at the doorframe had only been the tip of the iceberg. Something snapped in hr mind and she let loose, not thinking, "You arrogant, presumptuous bastard! You think you're so damn tough, but you don't know shit! You were trapped in that hovel by a couple freakin; lycans and I was the one that had to come save your ass! So, why don't you come over here and say that shit to my face, you ungrateful, cowardly _motherfucker!"_

Breathing heavily Ravyn felt her chest expand as all that had gone so wrong was made right just a tiny bit by her words.

"Challenge accepted," came the growling voice over the speaker. The yautja switched back to his native tongue and judging from Tarn'se's posture, Ravyn began to realize her death may meet her sooner than she thought. Uh oh.

"Tarn'se, bring your female to the ship," Far'hnde growled.

"What? Why?" The question was blunt, but without his translator Tarn'se could only begin to understand what had transpired between the Arbitrator and the human and if Far'hnde was requesting her presence, it couldn't be good.

* * *

"You female just issued a formal challenge to me, and I accepted. Bring her to the ship."

"She what! She couldn't possibly have known what she was saying! You can't be serious!"

"Serious as death," Far'hnde growled, "I take anyone who challenges me seriously, yautja or otherwise. I respected your relationship with her as much as can be reasonably tolerated, but this challenge and her arrogance cannot stand unanswered. Bring her to the ship or I will hunt her down myself."

The transmission ended and Tarn'se stared at Ravyn, knowing she's be dead within the hour.

_So, I really don't know what to say in regards to my absence. There really isn't too much to say that could possibly make any of my loyal reviewers forgive me for such a long hiatus. It's amazing how busy life gets that you forget the things that bring you joy. I had to sacrifice most of my reading time and all of my writing time to survive my junior and senior years, and now, I finally graduated from college with a biology degree. For the first time in two years I had time to read as much as my heart desired._

_I hadn't been here for a long time, and I was going through some of my old favorites as well as reading some new tales, getting frustrated when I realized that some excellent stories hadn't be updated for years, leaving the fates of the characters unknown. Then I looked at my stories and realized I hadn't updated in 2 years._

_I was one of those authors._

_That realization gave me a kick in the pants and now, with the time available, I was able to return to writing. It was scary how difficult it was to write creatively after not having done so in such a long time, but the words flowed more easily as I wrote and what you saw above was the finished product of that. I promise that I do intend to finish this tale, as there are some fun surprises I had always looked forwards to presenting to my readers, if anyone is still out there, reading this._

_I hope you enjoyed chapter 14 and I am currently typing away at chapter 15. I have about 6 chapters left so this story should finish out at 20 chapters total._

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you can, please review_.


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